Enrollment
155
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Charleston, SC
Compass Collegiate Academy
Federal NCES profile for Compass Collegiate Academy, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 33/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 450390101738Charter school
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
📋 Attendance 69
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Compass Collegiate Academy earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina.
- #3 of 3
- elementary schools in Charleston · Resource Index
- 33
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.8:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 61.0%
- free-lunch eligible
Compass Collegiate Academy has class sizes larger than 99% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Compass Collegiate Academy ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Charleston, SC.
School address
District: Sc Public Charter School District · South Carolina
NCES ID 450390101738 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
6.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.8:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+80% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
61.0%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-18% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Compass Collegiate Academy compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Compass Collegiate Academy
Compass Collegiate Academy is a higher-need, small charter elementary school in Charleston, South Carolina, enrolling 155 students.
Class loads run heavy: 25.8:1 is larger than about 99% of South Carolina schools and 80% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 61.0% of students eligible for free meals.
This is a small campus: fewer students than 95% of South Carolina schools, with 155 enrolled.
Its Resource Investment Index trails 91% of the 1,214 South Carolina schools with a score on record, one of the lower results on this measure.
Its student body is led by African American (74%) and White (13%) (diversity index 42/100).
12.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
The surrounding Sc Public Charter School District spends $22,523 per pupil, 55% above the South Carolina average, a better-resourced district than most.
Among Charleston's elementary schools, it stands alongside Buist Academy (521 students): Compass Collegiate Academy is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.8:1 vs 14.5:1).
Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students) and Legacy Early College (1,592 students) alongside Compass Collegiate Academy.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Compass Collegiate Academy compares
Compass Collegiate Academy on the metrics families compare, against South Carolina and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs South Carolina | South Carolina avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.8:1 | ▲ 80% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 61.0% | ▼ 18% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 155 | top 95% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.8:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
155
Bigger than 15% of US schools by enrollment, a small campus.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
61.0%
free-lunch eligible
- 18% below the South Carolina average of 74.0%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
25.8:1
students per teacher
- 80% above state mean
Top 99% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.3%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$22,523
per pupil, district-wide
- above South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well above the U.S. public-school average, reflecting substantially higher local or state investment per enrolled student.
Support staff
Counselors0.0 FTE
Student-support staffing from the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 5 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 3.2 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
African American 74.2%
White 12.9%
Two or More 9.0%
Hispanic or Latino 3.9%
Largest group: African American at 74.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 42.3/100
Simpson diversity index - at 42.3, Compass Collegiate Academy is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Sc Public Charter School District, which includes Compass Collegiate Academy.
$22,523
Per student
+55%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
+36%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 5.8%
State 80.6%
Federal 13.6%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Compass Collegiate Academy Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| York Preparatory Academy | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Legacy Early College | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Bridges Preparatory School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| High Point Academy | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Green Charter School | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Compass Collegiate Academy's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 1,672
- Students per teacher
- 14.8:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 1,592
- Students per teacher
- 12.2:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 1,472
- Students per teacher
- 16.9:1
- Resource Index
- 41/100
- Enrollment
- 1,208
- Students per teacher
- 12.9:1
- Resource Index
- 48/100
- Enrollment
- 998
- Students per teacher
- 14.9:1
- Resource Index
- 40/100
Similar elementary schools in Charleston
2 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of South Carolina, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~155 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.8:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Compass Collegiate Academy's federal record.
- Compare Compass Collegiate Academy against another school. Compare schools
- Sc Public Charter School District's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Compass Collegiate Academy
How many students attend Compass Collegiate Academy?
Compass Collegiate Academy has 155 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Charleston, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Compass Collegiate Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Compass Collegiate Academy is 25.8:1, which is 80% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 64% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Compass Collegiate Academy?
61.0% of students at Compass Collegiate Academy are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Compass Collegiate Academy?
The largest demographic group at Compass Collegiate Academy is African American at 74.2% of enrollment, in Charleston, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Compass Collegiate Academy?
Compass Collegiate Academy has a Resource Investment Index of 33/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 3 factors: student-teacher ratio, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Compass Collegiate Academy rank among elementary schools in Charleston?
By Resource Investment Index, Compass Collegiate Academy ranks #3 of 3 elementary schools in Charleston, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all elementary schools in Charleston on the city page.
Is Compass Collegiate Academy a good school?
Compass Collegiate Academy earns 33/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the smallest schools in South Carolina. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Sc Public Charter School District?
Besides Compass Collegiate Academy, Sc Public Charter School District also operates York Preparatory Academy (1,672 students), Legacy Early College (1,592 students), and Bridges Preparatory School (1,472 students). See the Sc Public Charter School District district page for the complete list.
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Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.