14 public K-12 schools in Beaufort from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
14 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Beaufort's 14 public schools is Bridges Preparatory School, scoring 41/100, against a city average of 47.7/100. Computed live across every Beaufort campus reporting to NCES.
How the Beaufort Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Beaufort, SC enrolls 8,251 students across 14 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 3 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 11.8:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 47.7/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Beaufort on this index is Bridges Preparatory School, at 41/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 1,472 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Beaufort spans 2 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Bridges Preparatory School accounts for 17.8% of all Beaufort public-school enrollment
That concentration means Beaufort-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: Combined. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Beaufort school enrollment varies 6.1× across entities
Beaufort school enrollment ranges from 241 students (lowest) to 1,472 students (highest), a spread of 1,231 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous school portfolio for a city this size. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Beaufort has higher-than-average Title I eligibility — 69.5% of the population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch
free or reduced-price lunch eligibility is the federal threshold for Title I funding allocations, established under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA, 2015). Eligibility here is approaching the 75% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 50% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Beaufort student-teacher ratio is 11.8:1 — low (typically associated with smaller schools or per-school staffing investment that often correlates with stronger per-student supports)
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Lower values often correlate with smaller scale and population characteristics rather than higher resource budgets per se.
Beaufort has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility — 21.4% of the population qualifies for charter-school enrollment options
charter-school enrollment options eligibility is the federal threshold for charter school authorisation funding allocations, established under the state-specific charter law. Eligibility here is approaching the 30% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 10% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Beaufort
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in Beaufort is Bridges Preparatory School with a quality score of 41/100. There are 14 public schools in Beaufort with 8,251 total students.
How many schools are in Beaufort, SC? ▼
Beaufort has 14 public schools with a total enrollment of 8,251 students. 3 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 11.8:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
