Enrollment
1,720
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Myrtle Beach, SC
Socastee High
Federal NCES profile for Socastee High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450249000639
👥 S:T ratio 29
📚 AP courses 75
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 37
📋 Attendance 32
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Socastee High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Carolina.
- #2 of 4
- high schools in Myrtle Beach · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.7:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 53.9%
- free-lunch eligible
Socastee High has class sizes larger than 89% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Socastee High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Myrtle Beach, SC.
School address
District: Horry 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450249000639 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
97.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.7:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+24% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
53.9%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-27% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Socastee High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at Socastee High
Socastee High is a higher-need, large high school in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, enrolling 1,720 students.
Class loads run heavy: 17.7:1 is larger than about 89% of South Carolina schools and 24% 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 53.9% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Carolina, bigger than 96% of state schools at 1,720 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 60 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #23.
Its student body is led by White (61%) and Hispanic or Latino (22%) (diversity index 57/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 15 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 313 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 27.4% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Its district draws 16.0% of revenue from federal sources, an above-typical federal share that tends to track a higher-need student population.
Discipline events run high: 486 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,720 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
The federal civil-rights collection also records 2 expulsions at this campus for 2021-22.
Among Myrtle Beach's high schools, it stands alongside Carolina Forest High (3,176 students): Socastee High is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (17.7:1 vs 20.4:1).
Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students) and St. James High (1,826 students) alongside Socastee 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 Socastee High compares
Socastee 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 | 17.7:1 | ▲ 24% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 53.9% | ▼ 27% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,720 | top 4% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.7:1
Leaner classes than 26% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,720
Bigger than 97% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
53.9%
free-lunch eligible
- 27% 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
17.7:1
students per teacher
- 24% above state mean
Top 89% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 11% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
27.4%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
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
Counselors5.5 FTE
Per 313 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
250
in-school suspensions + 236 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 14.5 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 28.3 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection. Includes 2 expulsions.
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 61.1%
Hispanic or Latino 21.7%
African American 7.8%
Two or More 6.7%
Asian 2.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 61.1% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 56.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 56.9, Socastee High is more mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 15
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Horry 01, which includes Socastee 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 Socastee High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Forest High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| St. James High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Conway High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Myrtle Beach High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Myrtle Beach High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Socastee 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
- 1,673
- Students per teacher
- 18:1
- Resource Index
- 45/100
- Enrollment
- 1,510
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
Similar high schools in Myrtle Beach
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 (~1,720 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.7:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Socastee High's federal record.
- Compare Socastee 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 Socastee High
How many students attend Socastee High?
Socastee High has 1,720 students enrolled. It is a high school in Myrtle Beach, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Socastee High?
The student-teacher ratio at Socastee High is 17.7:1, which is 24% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 13% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Socastee High?
53.9% of students at Socastee High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Socastee High?
The largest demographic group at Socastee High is White at 61.1% of enrollment, in Myrtle Beach, SC. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 56.9/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Socastee High?
Socastee High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Socastee High rank among high schools in Myrtle Beach?
By Resource Investment Index, Socastee High ranks #2 of 4 high schools in Myrtle Beach, 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 Myrtle Beach on the city page.
Is Socastee High a good school?
Socastee High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 89% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest 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 Horry 01?
Besides Socastee 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.