Public schools in North Charleston, SC
North Charleston has 29 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 9 high, 5 middle, 15 elementary, enrolling 18,591 students. They are run by 3 districts and agencies; Charleston County School District runs 24 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 3 districts and agencies that run North Charleston's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in North Charleston | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston County School District | 24 | 49,929 | $16,635 |
| Dorchester 02 | 4 | 26,135 | $11,212 |
| South Carolina Public Charter School District | 1 | 17,601 | $23,863 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
9 high schools in North Charleston, 8,371 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Dorchester High | 2,344 | 17.4 | 55.0% | Dorchester 02 |
| RB Stall High | 2,135 | 15.5 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Charleston School of the Arts | 1,102 | 16.0 | 20.6% | Charleston County |
| North Charleston High | 829 | 9.2 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Academic Magnet High | 740 | 16.6 | 9.9% | Charleston County |
| Palmetto Scholars Academy | 507 | 14.5 | 11.4% | South Carolina Public Charter |
| Military Magnet Academy | 393 | 8.7 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Allegro Charter School of Music | 250 | 9.3 | 84.3% | Charleston County |
| Greg Mathis Charter High | 71 | 14.2 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
5 middle schools in North Charleston, 2,816 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Oaks Middle | 728 | 13.0 | 76.4% | Dorchester 02 |
| Northwoods Middle | 708 | 14.4 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Morningside Middle | 552 | 11.2 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Jerry Zucker Middle School of Science | 513 | 8.9 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Deer Park Middle | 315 | 11.9 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
15 elementary schools in North Charleston, 7,404 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinehurst Elementary | 758 | 11.5 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| A. C. Corcoran Elementary | 743 | 15.0 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Eagle Nest Elementary | 653 | 14.4 | 77.5% | Dorchester 02 |
| Windsor Hill Arts Infused Elementary | 622 | 11.6 | 100.0% | Dorchester 02 |
| Lambs Elementary | 580 | 15.5 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Matilda F. Dunston Elementary | 569 | 12.9 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Hunley Park Elementary | 487 | 12.8 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Malcolm C. Hursey Montessori | 471 | 13.1 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Pepperhill Elementary | 453 | 13.4 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| W. B. Goodwin Elementary | 423 | 13.3 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
The other 5 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Charleston Creative Arts Elementary | 399 | 10.5 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Midland Park Primary | 357 | 11.2 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| North Charleston Elementary | 329 | 12.0 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Chicora Elementary | 316 | 9.5 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
| Mary Ford Early Childhood Learning and Family Center | 244 | 9.3 | 100.0% | Charleston County |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How North Charleston's public schools compare with South Carolina's
The median North Charleston school has 12.9 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the South Carolina median of 13.8. 79% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 50% across the state. Its median school enrolls 513 students (state 554).
| North Charleston | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 12.9 | 13.8 |
| Median school size (students) | 513 | 554 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 79% | 50% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 76% | 54% |
| Charter schools | 10% | 6.5% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 29 North Charleston schools and the 1,183 South Carolina schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in North Charleston
- Charleston County School DistrictRuns 24 of North Charleston's 29 public schools and spent $16,635 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,635
- Fort Dorchester High, the largest high school in North Charleston2,344 students in 2024-25, 17.4 per teacher.2,344
- Compare Charleston County School District with Dorchester 02North Charleston's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in South CarolinaSouth Carolina's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a North Charleston addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in South Carolina
- Columbia74 schools
- Greenville49 schools
- Charleston31 schools
- Spartanburg28 schools
- Rock Hill26 schools
- Summerville26 schools
- Myrtle Beach25 schools
- Anderson21 schools
Questions about schools in North Charleston
How many public schools are in North Charleston, SC?
29 public schools with an address in North Charleston were open in 2024-25: 9 high, 5 middle, 15 elementary, enrolling 18,591 students. 3 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in North Charleston?
Fort Dorchester High, with 2,344 students in 2024-25 (Dorchester 02).Which districts run North Charleston's schools?
Charleston County School District (24 schools), Dorchester 02 (4 schools), South Carolina Public Charter School District (1 school). A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25