Public schools in West Columbia, SC
West Columbia has 14 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 3 high, 4 middle, 6 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 10,372 students. They are run by 4 districts and agencies; Lexington School District Two runs 9 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 4 districts and agencies that run West Columbia's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in West Columbia | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lexington School District Two | 9 | 8,626 | $14,535 |
| Charter Institute at Erskine | 2 | 22,535 | $20,062 |
| Lexington County School District One | 2 | 28,031 | $13,591 |
| 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.
3 high schools in West Columbia, 2,322 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airport High | 1,272 | 17.4 | 78.6% | Lexington |
| Gray Collegiate Academy | 935 | 24.9 | 10.7% | Charter Institute at Erskine |
| Midlands Middle College | 115 | 17.4 | 24.7% | South Carolina Public Charter |
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.
4 middle schools in West Columbia, 2,126 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Knoll Middle | 693 | 12.8 | 48.4% | Lexington County |
| Northside Middle | 528 | 12.3 | 84.7% | Lexington |
| R. H. Fulmer Middle | 526 | 11.2 | 100.0% | Lexington |
| Pine Ridge Middle | 379 | 12.2 | 100.0% | Lexington |
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.
6 elementary schools in West Columbia, 3,744 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riverbank Elementary | 996 | 12.5 | 100.0% | Lexington |
| Herbert A. Wood Elementary | 938 | 13.4 | 100.0% | Lexington |
| White Knoll Elementary | 615 | 12.6 | 38.0% | Lexington County |
| Springdale Elementary | 443 | 14.3 | 57.6% | Lexington |
| Saluda River Academy for the Arts | 400 | 12.9 | 100.0% | Lexington |
| Congaree Elementary | 352 | 12.6 | 100.0% | Lexington |
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.
One other school in West Columbia, 2,180 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina Virtual Charter School | 2,180 | 17.3 | 47.3% | Charter Institute at Erskine |
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 West Columbia's public schools compare with South Carolina's
The median West Columbia school has 12.9 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the South Carolina median of 13.8. 43% of its schools ran a schoolwide Title I program in 2021-22, against 50% across the state. Its median school enrolls 572 students (state 554).
| West Columbia | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 12.9 | 13.8 |
| Median school size (students) | 572 | 554 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | 43% | 50% |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 43% | 54% |
| Charter schools | 21% | 6.5% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 14 West Columbia 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 West Columbia
- Lexington School District TwoRuns 9 of West Columbia's 14 public schools and spent $14,535 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,535
- Airport High, the largest high school in West Columbia1,272 students in 2024-25, 17.4 per teacher.1,272
- Compare Lexington School District Two with Charter Institute at ErskineWest Columbia'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 West Columbia 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
- North Charleston29 schools
- Spartanburg28 schools
- Rock Hill26 schools
- Summerville26 schools
- Myrtle Beach25 schools
Questions about schools in West Columbia
How many public schools are in West Columbia, SC?
14 public schools with an address in West Columbia were open in 2024-25: 3 high, 4 middle, 6 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 10,372 students. 3 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in West Columbia?
Airport High, with 1,272 students in 2024-25 (Lexington School District Two).Which districts run West Columbia's schools?
Lexington School District Two (9 schools), Charter Institute at Erskine (2 schools), Lexington County School District One (2 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