Best private high schools in South Carolina

Written by:
April 21, 2023
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Best private high schools in South Carolina

Private schools, in some form, existed long before the concept of free public education in America. Students were often educated through church-sponsored programs, private tutoring, and boarding schools. Public schools on a large scale were proposed by Horace Mann in the 1830s. The concept gained momentum, and by 1870, nearly 80% of kids aged 5 to 14 were enrolled in public schools. Today, according to the most recent enrollment data, about 4.7 million students—or 10% of students enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12—are enrolled in private schools.

Private schools are widely marketed as a better option when compared to public schools, and private school proponents will often point to standardized test scores to substantiate this claim. While private school students have consistently outperformed public school students on standardized tests, recent studies have shown private schools themselves are not the primary driver of success, nor are standardized tests the most accurate measure of student well-being.

Researchers have found that student success is more directly related to family attributes, like having parents who graduated from college, and higher incomes—more common amongst private school students than public school students—than simply whether the students attended a public or private school.

Still, private schools provide unique advantages and opportunities like smaller class sizes, more individualized instruction, and greater curricular flexibility. To better understand how private school offerings vary across the country, Stacker compiled a list of the best private high schools in South Carolina using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students.

Editor's note: The original article had inaccuracies when multiple schools in South Carolina had the same name. In most of these instances, the wrong data was displayed in the ranking. Stacker sincerely apologizes for the errors.

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#30. New Berry Academy

- District: Newberry
- Enrollment: 203 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#29. Walnut Grove Christian School

- District: Fort Mill
- Enrollment: 215 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#28. Agape Christian Academy

- District: Lobeco
- Enrollment: 46 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#27. Hilton Head Christian Academy

- District: Bluffton
- Enrollment: 371 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#26. Lake Pointe Academy

- District: York
- Enrollment: 159 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#25. John Paul II Catholic School

- District: Ridgeland
- Enrollment: 333 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#24. Oakbrook Preparatory School

- City: Spartanburg
- Enrollment: 445 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#23. Pinewood Preparatory School

- District: Summerville
- Enrollment: 650 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#22. Southside Christian School

- District: Simpsonville
- Enrollment: 1,300 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#21. Bishop England High School

- City: Charleston
- Enrollment: 668 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#20. Charleston Collegiate School

- District: Johns Island
- Enrollment: 320 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#19. St. Anne Catholic School

- District: Rock Hill
- Enrollment: 315 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#18. Mead Hall Episcopal School

- District: Aiken
- Enrollment: 311 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#17. Beaufort Academy

- District: Beaufort
- Enrollment: 344 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#16. Camden Military Academy

- District: Camden
- Enrollment: 300 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#15. Lowcountry Preparatory School

- District: Pawleys Island
- Enrollment: 145 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#14. Cardinal Newman School

- City: Columbia
- Enrollment: 488 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#13. Montessori School of Anderson

- District: Anderson
- Enrollment: 166 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#12. Ben Lippen School

- City: Columbia
- Enrollment: 1,038 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#11. Wilson Hall

- City: Sumter
- Enrollment: 800 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#10. Heritage Academy

- City: Hilton Head Island
- Enrollment: 125 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#9. Trinity Collegiate School

- District: Darlington
- Enrollment: 401 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#8. Ashley Hall School

- City: Charleston
- Enrollment: 637 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#7. St. Joseph's Catholic School

- City: Greenville
- Enrollment: 662 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. Spartanburg Day School

- City: Spartanburg
- Enrollment: 440 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. Hilton Head Preparatory School

- City: Hilton Head Island
- Enrollment: 436 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. Porter-Gaud School

- City: Charleston
- Enrollment: 1,059 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. Hammond School

- City: Columbia
- Enrollment: 999 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. Heathwood Hall Episcopal School

- City: Columbia
- Enrollment: 838 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. Christ Church Episcopal School

- City: Greenville
- Enrollment: 1,201 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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