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Best Schools in Columbia, SC
Columbia, SC has 252 public schools (42 high, 42 middle, 138 elementary) serving 154,912 students. On average they score 48% on state proficiency tests against a projected 36%, so schools in Columbia meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Columbia, SC
The top high schools in Columbia, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Gray Collegiate Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Charter Institute At Erskine • Charter • Grades 6 - 12 • 803 Students
2. Chapin High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 05 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1615 Students
3. Spring Hill High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 05 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1089 Students
4. Indian Land High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lancaster 01 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1678 Students
5. Lexington High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 01 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2410 Students
6. River Bluff High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 01 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2197 Students
7. Dutch Fork High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 05 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1726 Students
8. Fairfield Central High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Fairfield 01 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 662 Students
9. Dreher High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Richland 01 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1150 Students
10. Blythewood High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Richland 02 • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2094 Students
Best Middle Schools in Columbia, SC
The top middle schools in Columbia, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Indian Land Intermediate
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lancaster 01 • Public • Grades 5 - 6 • 1074 Students
2. Meadow Glen Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 01 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 808 Students
3. Beechwood Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 01 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1014 Students
4. Lakeside Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 01 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 839 Students
5. Chapin Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 05 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 991 Students
6. Chapin Intermediate
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 05 • Public • Grades 5 - 6 • 913 Students
7. Pleasant Hill Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 01 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 748 Students
8. Crayton Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Richland 01 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 905 Students
9. Indian Land Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lancaster 01 • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 989 Students
10. Blythewood Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Richland 02 • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 796 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Columbia, SC
The top elementary schools in Columbia, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Brockman Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Richland 01 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 268 Students
2. Harrisburg Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lancaster 01 • Public • Grades Pre K - 4 • 1089 Students
3. Lake Murray Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 01 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 901 Students
4. Satchel Ford Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Richland 01 • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 631 Students
5. New Providence Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 01 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 803 Students
6. Lake Murray Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 05 • Public • Grades KG - 4 • 809 Students
7. Fairfield Magnet For Math And Science
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Fairfield 01 • Public • Grades Pre K - 6 • 217 Students
8. Round Top Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Richland 02 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 673 Students
9. Midway Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 01 • Public • Grades Pre K - 5 • 891 Students
10. Piney Woods Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lexington 05 • Public • Grades Pre K - 4 • 501 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Columbia, SC
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Columbia, SC has a total population of 829,470 with 27% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 91%, and 36% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Columbia, SC
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Columbia, SC.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
31.30 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
5.58 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
25.72 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Columbia, SC.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Columbia, SC.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Columbia, SC Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Columbia, SC
How many schools are in Columbia, SC?
Columbia, SC has 252 public schools: 42 high schools, 42 middle schools and 138 elementary schools, serving 154,912 students in total.
How do schools in Columbia perform on state tests?
On average, 252 schools in Columbia score 48% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 36%, so on average schools in Columbia meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Columbia?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Columbia, SC
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 48%
- Projected: 37%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 48%
- Projected: 38%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 37%
- Projected: 27%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 35%
- Projected: 28%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 28%
- Projected: 18%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 45%
- Projected: 30%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 44%
- Projected: 35%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 40%
- Projected: 32%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 44%
- Projected: 33%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 41%
- Projected: 37%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
Every school in Columbia
66 of 75 schools in Columbia carry a SchoolGrade (9 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 5B: 5C: 22D: 24F: 10
All 75 public schools we grade in Columbia. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (14)
- A C Flora High
- Broad River High
- C A Johnson High
- Columbia High
- Dreher High
- Eau Claire High
- Irmo High
- Kirkland High
- Manning High
- Richland Northeast High
- Ridge View High
- Sara Babb High
- Spring Valley High
- Wj Keenan High
Middle and junior high schools (14)
- Alcorn Middle
- Crayton Middle
- Crossroads Intermediate
- Dent Middle
- E L Wright Middle
- Hand Middle
- Heyward Gibbes Middle
- Irmo Middle
- Longleaf Middle
- Richland One Charter Middle College
- St Andrews Middle
- Summit Parkway Middle
- W A Perry Middle
- W G Sanders Middle
Elementary and primary schools (39)
- A C Moore Elementary
- A J Lewis Greenview Elementary
- Annie Burnside Elementary
- Arden Elementary
- Bradley Elementary
- Brennen Elementary
- Brockman Elementary
- Burton Pack Elementary
- Carver Lyon Elementary
- Caughman Road Elementary
- Edward E Taylor Elementary
- Forest Heights Elementary
- Forest Lake Elementary
- H B Rhame Elementary
- Harbison West Elementary
- Hyatt Park Elementary
- J P Thomas Elementary
- Jackson Creek Elementary
- Joseph Keels Elementary
- Killian Elementary
- L B Nelson Elementary
- L W Conder Elementary
- Leaphart Elementary
- Logan Elementary
- Meadowfield Elementary
- Mill Creek Elementary
- North Springs Elementary
- Nursery Road Elementary
- Pine Grove Elementary
- Polo Road Elementary
- Rice Creek Elementary
- Rosewood Elementary
- Sandel Elementary
- Sandlapper Elementary
- Satchel Ford Elementary
- Seven Oaks Elementary
- South Kilbourne Elementary
- Watkins Nance Elementary
- Windsor Elementary
Other schools and academies (8)
- Carolina School For Inquiry
- Clear Dot Charter School
- Midlands Arts Conservatory
- Palmetto Achievement Center For Excellence Academy
- Pendergrass Fairwold School
- Sc Connections Academy
- Sc Whitmore School
- Scdjj Evaluation And Detention Center
Private schools (22)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.
- 1955
- Ben Lippen School
- Ben Lippen School
- Cardinal Newman School
- Center For Learning Inc
- Cutler Jewish Day School
- Daniels Christian Schools
- Hammond School
- Harmony School
- Kilbourne Park Baptist Church Weekday Preschool
- Lake Murray Montessori School
- Mission Hope Foundation
- Montessori Early Learning Center
- Montessori School Of Columbia
- Sandhills School
- Shandon United Methodist Preschool & Kindergarten
- Sonlight Heritage Academy
- St Joseph School
- St Martin De Porres School
- St Peters Catholic School
- V.v. Reid School, Llc
- V.v.reid School