Enrollment
1,826
South Carolina · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · Murrells Inlet, SC
St. James High
Federal NCES profile for St. James High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 53/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 450249000900
👥 S:T ratio 31
📚 AP courses 90
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 39
📋 Attendance 34
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
St. James High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% of South Carolina schools. It is also one of the largest schools in South Carolina.
- 53
- Resource Index · Higher
- 17.2:1
- large classes for South Carolina
- 46.3%
- free-lunch eligible
- 1,826
- students enrolled
St. James High has class sizes larger than 85% of South Carolina schools. Computed live against every South Carolina school reporting to NCES.
School address
District: Horry 01 · South Carolina
NCES ID 450249000900 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
106.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
17.2:1
vs 14.3:1 South Carolina avg
+20% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
46.3%
vs 74.0% South Carolina avg
-37% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How St. James High compares with South Carolina and U.S. medians
What stands out at St. James High
St. James High is a large high school in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, enrolling 1,826 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 17.2:1 puts it in the larger third of South Carolina schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 46.3% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in South Carolina, bigger than 97% of state schools at 1,826 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 1,214 scored South Carolina schools.
Against 49 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #19.
Its student body is led by White (73%) and Hispanic or Latino (13%) (diversity index 44/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 18 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor coverage runs a bit thin, about 304 students per counselor, somewhat past the ASCA-recommended 250:1 benchmark.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 26.5% 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: 604 in- and out-of-school suspensions were reported for 1,826 students in the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection.
Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students) and Conway High (1,724 students) alongside St. James 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 St. James High compares
St. James 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 | 17.2:1 | ▲ 20% | 14.3:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 46.3% | ▼ 37% | 74.0% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,826 | top 3% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
17.2:1
Leaner classes than 29% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,826
Bigger than 98% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
46.3%
free-lunch eligible
- 37% 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
17.2:1
students per teacher
- 20% above state mean
Top 85% in South Carolina - lower ratio than 15% of state schools
Between 16:1 and 20:1, squarely in the typical U.S. public-school staffing range.
Engagement
26.5%
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
Counselors6.0 FTE
Per 304 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
372
in-school suspensions + 232 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 20.4 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 33.1 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 73.2%
Hispanic or Latino 12.7%
African American 6.4%
Two or More 5.9%
Asian 1.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.2%
Largest group: White at 73.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.0/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.0, St. James High is less mixed than the South Carolina school average of 52.7.
Programs
AP courses offered 18
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Horry 01, which includes St. James 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 St. James High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Forest High | Larger | Similar economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Conway High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Socastee High | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| North Myrtle Beach High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Myrtle Beach High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to St. James 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
- 1,724
- 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
- Enrollment
- 1,510
- Students per teacher
- 18.2:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
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 (~1,826 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~17.2:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on St. James High's federal record.
- Compare St. James 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 St. James High
How many students attend St. James High?
St. James High has 1,826 students enrolled. It is a high school in Murrells Inlet, SC.
What is the student-teacher ratio at St. James High?
The student-teacher ratio at St. James High is 17.2:1, which is 20% higher than the South Carolina average of 14.3:1 and 10% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at St. James High?
46.3% of students at St. James High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the South Carolina average of 74.0%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of St. James High?
The largest demographic group at St. James High is White at 73.2% of enrollment, in Murrells Inlet, SC.
What is the Resource Investment Index for St. James High?
St. James High has a Resource Investment Index of 53/100 (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).
Is St. James High a good school?
St. James High earns 53/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 85% 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 St. James High, Horry 01 also operates Carolina Forest High (3,176 students), Conway High (1,724 students), and Socastee High (1,720 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.