Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
South Carolina Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for South Carolina — 796,780 students in 1,290 schools in 2024–25, with enrollment history back to 1986 and county-level detail from 2002.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 796,780 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 1,290 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 56,583 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 14.1 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 69.6% | 2023–24 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 19.7% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 7.8% | 2024–25 |
| High school graduation rate | 86.7% | 2024–25 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 41.0% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 52.1% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 26.5% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 46.3% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 30.7% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 14.4% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 1.9% | 2024–25 |
Not every statistic is collected every year — each row shows its most recent available school year (amber when older than 2024–25). Blank/absent means not collected or below reliability floors, never zero. Some universal-meals states no longer report free/reduced-price lunch — school poverty (MEPS) is the better lens there. A 0% charter share in a state without a charter-school law is a true zero.
South Carolina state report card
Outcomes reported directly by South Carolina’s education agency — often more current than the federal series above. Because each state uses its own tests, definitions, and reporting windows, these figures are not comparable state-to-state; each row notes how South Carolina measures it.
| Measure | Latest | Trend | School year |
|---|---|---|---|
5-year graduation rate How South Carolina measures this5-Year Subsequent Success Rate (5YSSR) on the 2024-25 report card: percent of the prior-year 4-year cohort (Class of 2024) who graduated within 5 years; 'State of South Carolina' row (SCHOOLID 9999999), sheet 8.HS_Success. | 87.9% | 2023–24 | |
Math proficiency (state test) How South Carolina measures thisSC READY (South Carolina College-and-Career Ready Assessments) Mathematics, grades 3-8 combined, percent Meets or Exceeds Expectations; published statewide all-grades aggregate from the 2024-25 report card (sheet 2a, 'State of South Carolina' row). Denominator is 'Total Number Expected To Test' (0.5% not tested), report-card accountability basis. | 44.5% | 2024–25 | |
Reading / ELA proficiency (state test) How South Carolina measures thisSC READY (South Carolina College-and-Career Ready Assessments) ELA, grades 3-8 combined, percent Meets or Exceeds Expectations; published statewide all-grades aggregate from the 2024-25 report card (sheet 2a, 'State of South Carolina' row). Denominator is 'Total Number Expected To Test' (0.5% not tested), report-card accountability basis. | 60.3% | 2024–25 |
Source: South CarolinaDepartment of Education (public reporting), 2026 collection. Not comparable across states — proficiency reflects different assessments and cut scores; graduation, dropout, and college-going use each state’s own cohort definitions and windows. Absent rows mean the state doesn’t publish that measure in a comparable file.
South Carolina schools by county
Students enrolled, 2024–25.
South Carolina schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in South Carolina?+
796,780 students were enrolled in South Carolina's 1,290 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year, taught by 56,583 full-time-equivalent teachers (NCES Common Core of Data).
What is South Carolina's high school graduation rate?+
86.7% of South Carolina's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2024–25 school year — reported by South Carolina's education agency (its 4-year ACGR, more current than the federal series, which lags to 2021–22). Graduation rates run from 2010–11 onward.
Where does this data come from?+
Core statistics (enrollment, schools, teachers, poverty, demographics) come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. The most recent graduation rates and the state report-card outcomes (proficiency, college-going, dropout, chronic absenteeism) come directly from state education agencies, which publish sooner than the federal series. Full source and license details are on the methodology page. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES or any state agency.
Other states
Data: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (CCD, EDFacts, CRDC) and ED Data Express, plus current-year graduation and report-card outcomes from state education agencies. Full source and license details on the methodology page.