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Best Elementary Schools in Columbia, SC (2025-26)
Every ranked elementary school in Columbia, SC, ordered by SchoolGrade. A grade rewards actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact. Click a column heading to sort, or filter by school, city or district.
Columbia, SC rankings: Elementary Schools
Columbia, SC elementary schools ranked
How Columbia, SC's elementary schools compare
A: 4B: 3C: 13D: 17F: 5
17% of the 42 ranked elementary schools in Columbia, SC earn an A or B (4 A grades, 3 B, 13 C, 17 D, 5 F), against 46% of elementary schools nationwide. 29 schools meet or beat the proficiency projected from their student context (69% here, 70% nationally), and 19 exceed it. On average 43% of tested students meet the state bar against a projected 25% (national averages: 46% actual, 37% projected).
The biggest overperformers, by actual proficiency above projection: Bradley Elementary (46% against 12%, C), Rice Creek Elementary (53% against 20%, C+), Joseph Keels Elementary (43% against 11%, C-), Annie Burnside Elementary (59% against 31%, B), Forest Lake Elementary (56% against 28%, B-).
Districts with the most schools in the top quarter (the top 11): Richland 01 (6), Richland 02 (4).
The largest ranked elementary schools: E L Wright Middle (1,354 students, D, #23), Summit Parkway Middle (1,154 students, D, #26), Brennen Elementary (806 students, A, #3).
Of the top 25, 13 are magnet schools and 0 are charters. Selective and specialised schools tend to post high actual scores; the projection column is the fairer comparison for a neighborhood school.
Elementary schools in Columbia, SC that are not ranked
1 graded elementary schools are listed here rather than ranked, each for the reason given. Every one has its own page with its full SchoolGrade report.
Not yet graded (1)
Our source data has no school-level proficiency results for these schools, so they carry no SchoolGrade yet.
- Carolina School For Inquiry, Columbia
About this ranking
- Scope: public elementary schools in Columbia, SC, as grouped on its schools page; the South Carolina ranking covers the whole state.
- Order: SchoolGrade, then actual proficiency, then name; schools with the same grade and score share a rank.
- Ranked: regular public schools that NCES lists as open, not fully online, with at least 30 students. Others are listed with the reason.
- Tags: Magnet and Charter from the NCES school directory; K-12 marks schools serving every grade that are ranked with the elementary schools.
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model. How SchoolGrade works
Questions about elementary schools in Columbia, SC
What is the best elementary school in Columbia, SC?
Brockman Elementary in Columbia ranks first among the 42 ranked elementary schools in Columbia, SC with a SchoolGrade of A+, 85% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 59%.
How are elementary schools in Columbia, SC ranked?
By SchoolGrade, the 2025-26 model that scores each school's actual test proficiency against the level projected for its student context, then by actual proficiency to break ties. Regular public schools that are open, not fully online and have at least 30 students are ranked; the rest are listed below the table with the reason.
How many elementary schools does Columbia, SC have?
SchoolGrade grades 43 public elementary schools in Columbia, SC; 42 are ranked here and 1 are listed as not ranked.