These are the best and worst SC high schools in the Pee Dee region, US News & World Report says
Class is back in session around South Carolina, but some schools perform better than others in the Palmetto State.
Several high schools in the Pee Dee region are among the best in South Carolina, but nearly half of all area high schools ranked among the bottom quartile of schools statewide, according to recent rankings from U.S. News and World Report.
The rankings used data from the U.S. Department of Education, state education agencies, College Board and International Baccalaureate (IB) to assess academic proficiencies, graduation rates, IB exams and more to rank schools against their peers.
Schools were then assigned an overall score, which correlates to their statewide ranking. Coming in at number six, Mayo High School for Math, Science and Technology in Darlington was the only Pee Dee school to crack the list of top-10 high schools statewide. With an overall score of 95.93 out of 100, Mayo placed higher than roughly 96% of South Carolina schools. Here’s how other schools in the region compared.
The top 10 SC high schools in the Pee Dee region
1. Mayo High School for Math, Science and Technology
405 Chestnut St., Darlington, SC 29532
- Overall score: 95.93/100
- #6 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 99%
- Math proficiency: 85%
- Reading proficiency: 96%
- Science proficiency: 85%
2. St. James High School
10800 Highway 707, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576
- Overall score: 87.99/100
- #23 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 87%
- Math proficiency: 67%
- Reading proficiency: 80%
- Science proficiency: 72%
3. Waccamaw High School
2412 Kings River Road, Pawleys Island, SC 29585
- Overall score: 84.36/100
- #31 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 94%
- Math proficiency: 24%
- Reading proficiency: 79%
- Science proficiency: 59%
4. Carolina Forest High School
700 Gardner Lacy Road, Myrtle Beach, SC 29579
- Overall score: 83.89/100
- #33 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 78%
- Math proficiency: 56%
- Reading proficiency: 80%
- Science proficiency: 59%
5. Green Sea Floyds High School
4990 Tulip Grove Road, Green Sea, SC 29545
- Overall score: 77.64/100
- #45 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 84%
- Math proficiency: 54%
- Reading proficiency: 70%
- Science proficiency: 31%
6. North Myrtle Beach High School
3750 Sea Mountain Highway, Little River, SC 29566
- Overall score: 77.54/100
- #46 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 81%
- Math proficiency: 47%
- Reading proficiency: 77%
- Science proficiency: 62%
7. Socastee High School
4900 Socastee Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
- Overall score: 75.18/100
- #54 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 84%
- Math proficiency: 30%
- Reading proficiency: 72%
- Science proficiency: 55%
8. Aynor High School
201 Jordanville Road, Aynor, SC 29511
- Overall score: 73.93/100
- #57 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 88%
- Math proficiency: 50%
- Reading proficiency: 74%
- Science proficiency: 46%
9. HCS Early College High School
2050 Highway 501 E., Conway, SC 29526
- Overall score: 72.85/100
- #60 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 96%
- Math proficiency: 70%
- Reading proficiency: 92%
- Science proficiency: 77%
10. J. Paul Truluck Creative Arts and Science Magnet
319 Carlisle St., Lake City, SC 29560
- Overall score: 66.66/100
- #70 in South Carolina
- Graduation rate: 93%
- Math proficiency: 37%
- Reading proficiency: 65%
- Science proficiency: 28%
U.S. News and World Report didn’t rank schools in the bottom 25% of schools, instead listing them as simply having an overall score less than 25.
Outside the top 10 in the Pee Dee region, 14 schools ranked with overall scores ranging from Myrtle Beach High School at 66.54 to Hannah Pamplico High School at 25.35. But 22 other schools fell into the bottom quartile, and therefore weren’t ranked specifically.
22 bottom-ranking SC high schools in Pee Dee region
In alphabetical order
- Andrews High School in Andrews
- Central High School in Pageland
- Cheraw High School in Cheraw
- Coastal Leadership Academy in Myrtle Beach
- Darlington High School in Darlington
- Dillon High School in Dillon
- East Clarendon Middle-High School in Turbeville
- Georgetown High School in Georgetown
- Hemingway High School in Hemingway
- Johnsonville High School in Johnsonville
- Kingstree Senior High School in Kingstree
- Lake City High School in Lake City
- Lake View High School in Lake View
- Lakewood High School in Sumter
- Lee Central High School in Bishopville
- Manning High School in Manning
- Marion High School in Marion
- Marlboro County High School in Bennettsville
- Mullins High School in Mullins
- Palmetto Academy for Learning Motorsports (PALM) Charter High School in Conway
- Scott’s Branch High School in Summerton
- Sumter High School in Sumter
A complete list of South Carolina high school rankings is available from U.S. News here.