Enrollment
360
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Conway, SC
Hcs Early College High
Federal NCES profile for Hcs Early College High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 42/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450249001531
👥 S:T ratio 28
📚 AP courses 10
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 28
📋 Attendance 74
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Hcs Early College High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of South Carolina schools.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Conway · Resource Index
- 42
- Resource Index · Typical
- 18:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 68.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Hcs Early College High has class sizes larger than 91% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Hcs Early College High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Conway, SC.
School address
District: Horry 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450249001531 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
20.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
18:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+26% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
68.7%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Hcs Early College High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Hcs Early College High
Hcs Early College High is a higher-need, mid-sized high school in Conway, South Carolina, enrolling 360 students.
Class loads run heavy: 18:1 is larger than about 91% of South Carolina schools and 26% above the 14.3:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 68.7% lands close to the South Carolina typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 360 puts it in the smaller third of South Carolina schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 63 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #20.
Its student body is led by White (42%) and African American (28%) (diversity index 69/100).
No Advanced Placement courses are reported for this campus in the federal data.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 360 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
10.3% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Its district draws 16.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Among Conway's high schools, it stands alongside Conway High (1,724 students): Hcs Early College High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (18:1 vs 18.9:1).
Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students) and St. James High (1,826 students) alongside Hcs Early College High.
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 Hcs Early College High compares
Hcs Early College High 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 | 18:1 | ▲ 26% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 68.7% | ▼ 7% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 360 | top 76% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
18:1
Leaner classes than 24% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
360
Bigger than 41% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
68.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% 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
18:1
students per teacher
- 26% above state mean
Top 91% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 9% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
10.3%
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
$12,785
per pupil, district-wide
- below South Carolina avg of $14,558
Well below the U.S. average per-pupil spend, a notably leaner funding position that may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 360 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
12
in-school suspensions + 30 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 11.7 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
White 41.9%
African American 28.1%
Hispanic or Latino 22.5%
Two or More 5.8%
Asian 1.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%
Largest group: White at 41.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 69.1/100
Simpson diversity index - at 69.1, Hcs Early College High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP program Not offered
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Horry 01, which includes Hcs Early College High.
$12,785
Per student
-12%
vs South Carolina
Avg $14,558
-23%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 47.9%
State 36.1%
Federal 16.0%
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 Hcs Early College High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Forest High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. James High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Conway High | Larger | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Socastee High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Myrtle Beach High | Larger | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Hcs Early College High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,176
- Students per teacher
- 20.4:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,826
- Students per teacher
- 17.2:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,724
- Students per teacher
- 18.9:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,720
- Students per teacher
- 17.7:1
- Resource Index
- 42/100
- Enrollment
- 1,673
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
Similar high schools in Conway
3 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Similar high 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 (~360 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~18:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Hcs Early College High's federal record.
- Compare Hcs Early College High against another school. Compare schools
- Horry 01'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 Hcs Early College High
How many students attend Hcs Early College High?
Hcs Early College High has 360 students enrolled. It is a high school in Conway, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Hcs Early College High?
The student-teacher ratio at Hcs Early College High is 18:1, which is 26% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 15% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Hcs Early College High?
68.7% of students at Hcs Early College High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Hcs Early College High?
The largest demographic group at Hcs Early College High is White at 41.9% of enrollment, in Conway, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 69.1/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Hcs Early College High?
Hcs Early College High has a Resource Investment Index of 42/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Hcs Early College High rank among high schools in Conway?
By Resource Investment Index, Hcs Early College High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Conway, SC. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in Conway on the city page.
Is Hcs Early College High a good school?
Hcs Early College High earns 42/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 91% of South Carolina schools. 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 Horry 01?
Besides Hcs Early College High, Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students), St. James High (1,826 students), and Conway High (1,724 students). See the Horry 01 district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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.