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Best public schools in Columbia, SC

78 public schools in Columbia: 41 elementary · 10 middle · 17 high · 3 K-8 · 7 combined. Ranked by our score, based on 2025-26 state test results.

High school end-of-course results are not in our data yet, so South Carolina high schools have no score.

Rankings renumber to share equal ranks and fill gaps when schools are hidden. Scores compare each school with schools of the same type across South Carolina.

Elementary schools

41 schools in Columbia, best first
1
Brockman Elementary 98.4
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 266 students
ELA 94%Math 81%Science 94%
#10 of 585 in South Carolina
2
Satchel Ford Elementary 92.2
Richland 01 · Grades K-5 · 698 students
ELA 82%Math 75%Science 75%
#46 of 585 in South Carolina
3
Brennen Elementary 91.0
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 792 students
ELA 82%Math 76%Science 67%
#53 of 585 in South Carolina
4
Rosewood Elementary 89.5
Richland 01 · Grades K-5 · 343 students
ELA 85%Math 71%Science 65%
#62 of 585 in South Carolina
5
A. C. Moore Elementary 68.1
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 224 students
ELA 66%Math 65%Science 61%
#187 of 585 in South Carolina
6
Logan Elementary 57.9
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 221 students
ELA 66%Math 48%Science 64%
#247 of 585 in South Carolina
7
Forest Lake Elementary 56.0
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 638 students
ELA 63%Math 51%Science 58%
#258 of 585 in South Carolina
8
L. B. Nelson Elementary 51.7
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 553 students
ELA 59%Math 50%Science 60%
#283 of 585 in South Carolina
9
Annie Burnside Elementary 46.6
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 319 students
ELA 69%Math 44%Science 34%
#313 of 585 in South Carolina
10
Leaphart Elementary 45.4
Lexington 05 · Grades PK-5 · 501 students
ELA 60%Math 49%Science 44%
#320 of 585 in South Carolina
11
Harbison West Elementary 39.9
Lexington 05 · Grades PK-5 · 507 students
ELA 60%Math 46%Science 41%
#352 of 585 in South Carolina
12
North Springs Elementary 39.2
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 672 students
ELA 61%Math 43%Science 45%
#356 of 585 in South Carolina
13
Nursery Road Elementary 38.4
Lexington 05 · Grades PK-5 · 464 students
ELA 59%Math 46%Science 41%
#361 of 585 in South Carolina
14
CrossRoads Intermediate 38.0
Lexington 05 · Grades 6 · 644 students
ELA 50%Math 33%Science 44%
#363 of 585 in South Carolina
15
Rice Creek Elementary 37.0
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 764 students
ELA 59%Math 43%Science 47%
#369 of 585 in South Carolina
16
Sandlapper Elementary 35.3
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 694 students
ELA 55%Math 44%Science 45%
#379 of 585 in South Carolina
17
Joseph Keels Elementary 35.1
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 478 students
ELA 53%Math 45%Science 48%
#380 of 585 in South Carolina
18
Bradley Elementary 33.9
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 413 students
ELA 53%Math 44%Science 47%
#387 of 585 in South Carolina
19
Meadowfield Elementary 32.2
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 610 students
ELA 55%Math 42%Science 43%
#397 of 585 in South Carolina
20
Killian Elementary 31.9
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 740 students
ELA 56%Math 39%Science 44%
#399 of 585 in South Carolina
21
Carver-Lyon Elementary 25.6
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 360 students
ELA 54%Math 32%Science 42%
#436 of 585 in South Carolina
22
Caughman Road Elementary 23.5
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 742 students
ELA 51%Math 31%Science 45%
#448 of 585 in South Carolina
23
H. B. Rhame Elementary 21.3
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 470 students
ELA 52%Math 36%Science 28%
#461 of 585 in South Carolina
24
Polo Road Elementary 19.6
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 659 students
ELA 48%Math 34%Science 35%
#471 of 585 in South Carolina
25
Seven Oaks Elementary 18.4
Lexington 05 · Grades PK-5 · 502 students
ELA 49%Math 33%Science 31%
#478 of 585 in South Carolina
26
Mill Creek Elementary 17.5
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 329 students
ELA 51%Math 24%Science 39%
#483 of 585 in South Carolina
27
South Kilbourne Elementary 16.7
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 289 students
ELA 50%Math 33%Science 23%
#488 of 585 in South Carolina
28
Arden Elementary 15.3
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 227 students
ELA 46%Math 34%Science 31%
#496 of 585 in South Carolina
29
J. P. Thomas Elementary 13.4
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 302 students
ELA 47%Math 31%Science 28%
#507 of 585 in South Carolina
30
Pine Grove Elementary 13.1
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 530 students
ELA 48%Math 31%Science 27%
#509 of 585 in South Carolina
31
A. J. Lewis Greenview Elementary 12.9
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 353 students
ELA 47%Math 30%Science 29%
#510 of 585 in South Carolina
32
L. W. Conder Elementary 12.6
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 472 students
ELA 46%Math 32%Science 28%
#512 of 585 in South Carolina
33
Forest Heights Elementary 11.5
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 433 students
ELA 49%Math 27%Science 28%
#518 of 585 in South Carolina
34
Jackson Creek Elementary 9.7
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 586 students
ELA 41%Math 32%Science 29%
#529 of 585 in South Carolina
35
Hyatt Park Elementary 9.5
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 333 students
ELA 46%Math 30%Science 15%
#530 of 585 in South Carolina
36
Burton Pack Elementary 9.0
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 344 students
ELA 44%Math 28%Science 29%
#533 of 585 in South Carolina
37
Sandel Elementary 8.1
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 507 students
ELA 42%Math 29%Science 28%
#538 of 585 in South Carolina
38
Windsor Elementary 7.4
Richland 02 · Grades PK-5 · 529 students
ELA 43%Math 25%Science 35%
#542 of 585 in South Carolina
39
Watkins-Nance Elementary 4.9
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 435 students
ELA 43%Math 26%Science 25%
#557 of 585 in South Carolina
40
Edward E. Taylor Elementary 0.1
Richland 01 · Grades PK-5 · 222 students
ELA 31%Math 16%Science 5%
#585 of 585 in South Carolina
–
Carolina School for Inquiry —
Richland 01 · Grades PK-6 · Charter · 113 students
No published test results

Middle schools

10 schools in Columbia, best first
1
Crayton Middle 85.7
Richland 01 · Grades 6-8 · 924 students
ELA 71%Math 58%Science 65%
#34 of 234 in South Carolina
2
Irmo Middle 66.9
Lexington 05 · Grades 6-8 · 989 students
ELA 57%Math 42%Science 79%
#78 of 234 in South Carolina
3
Hand Middle 54.5
Richland 01 · Grades 6-8 · 700 students
ELA 61%Math 38%Science 45%
#107 of 234 in South Carolina
4
Dent Middle 40.4
Richland 02 · Grades 6-8 · 1,035 students
ELA 54%Math 36%Science 43%
#140 of 234 in South Carolina
5
Longleaf Middle 34.4
Richland 02 · Grades 6-8 · 800 students
ELA 54%Math 30%Science 40%
#154 of 234 in South Carolina
6
W. G. Sanders Middle 22.9
Richland 01 · Grades 6-8 · 524 students
ELA 43%Math 26%Science 31%
#181 of 234 in South Carolina
7
Heyward Gibbes Middle 10.0
Richland 01 · Grades 6-8 · 263 students
ELA 39%Math 21%Science 28%
#211 of 234 in South Carolina
8
W. A. Perry Middle 6.6
Richland 01 · Grades 6-8 · 310 students
ELA 40%Math 15%Science 19%
#219 of 234 in South Carolina
9
St. Andrews Middle 4.9
Richland 01 · Grades 6-8 · 700 students
ELA 35%Math 16%Science 24%
#223 of 234 in South Carolina
10
Alcorn Middle 0.2
Richland 01 · Grades 6-8 · 384 students
ELA 24%Math 10%Science 14%
#234 of 234 in South Carolina

High schools

17 schools in Columbia
–
A. C. Flora High —
Richland 01 · Grades 9-12 · 1,334 students
No published test results
 –
Broad River High —
Dept Of Correction N04 · Grades 9-12 · 16 students
No published test results
 –
C. A. Johnson High —
Richland 01 · Grades 9-12 · 369 students
No published test results
 –
Columbia High —
Richland 01 · Grades 9-12 · 693 students
No published test results
 –
Dreher High —
Richland 01 · Grades 9-12 · 1,155 students
No published test results
 –
Eau Claire High —
Richland 01 · Grades 9-12 · 599 students
No published test results
 –
Irmo High —
Lexington 05 · Grades 9-12 · 1,268 students
No published test results
 –
Kirkland High —
Dept Of Correction N04 · Grades 9-12 · 32 students
No published test results
 –
Manning High —
Dept Of Correction N04 · Grades 9-12 · 0 students
No published test results
 –
Richland Northeast High —
Richland 02 · Grades 9-12 · 1,301 students
No published test results
 –
Richland One Charter Middle College —
Richland 01 · Grades 11-12 · Charter · 104 students
No published test results
 –
Ridge View High —
Richland 02 · Grades 9-12 · 1,696 students
No published test results
 –
Samuel A. Heyward Career and Technology Center —
Richland 01 · Grades 9-12 · 0 students
No published test results
 –
Sara Babb High —
Dept Of Correction N04 · Grades 9-12 · 3 students
No published test results
 –
SC Whitmore School —
SC Public Charter School District · Grades 9-12 · Charter · 478 students
No published test results
 –
Spring Valley High —
Richland 02 · Grades 9-12 · 2,314 students
No published test results
 –
W.J. Keenan High —
Richland 01 · Grades 9-12 · 719 students
No published test results

K-8 schools

3 schools in Columbia, best first
1
E. L. Wright Middle 50.0
Richland 02 · Grades K-8 · 1,285 students
ELA 55%Math 35%Science 46%
#31 of 61 in South Carolina
2
Summit Parkway Middle 46.7
Richland 02 · Grades K-8 · 1,176 students
ELA 53%Math 34%Science 43%
#33 of 61 in South Carolina
3
Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy 0.8
SC Public Charter School District · Grades 2-8 · Charter · 198 students
ELA 16%Math 7%Science 9%
#61 of 61 in South Carolina

Combined schools

7 schools in Columbia, best first
1
SC Connections Academy 44.0
Charter Institute at Erskine · Grades K-12 · Charter · 5,955 students
ELA 58%Math 25%Science 41%
#24 of 42 in South Carolina
2
Clear Dot Charter School 3.6
Charter Institute at Erskine · Grades PK-11 · Charter · 418 students
ELA 34%Math 9%Science 19%
#41 of 42 in South Carolina
3
Carolus Online Academy 1.2
SC Public Charter School District · Grades K-12 · Charter · 402 students
ELA 30%Math 8%Science 12%
#42 of 42 in South Carolina
–
Empowerment and Enrichment Academy —
Dept of Juvenile Justice · Grades 5-12 · 0 students
ELA 14%
 –
Pendergrass Fairwold School —
Richland 01 · Grades K-12 · 56 students
No published test results
 –
SCDJJ Evaluation and Detention Center —
Dept of Juvenile Justice · Grades 4-12 · 436 students
No published test results
 –
The Palmetto Empowerment and Enrichment Academy —
Dept of Juvenile Justice · Grades 5-12 · 0 students
No published test results

School districts serving Columbia

Nearby cities and towns