Six Greenville County high schools this week were ranked among the top 25 best South Carolina high schools.
The rankings come from U.S. News & World Report’s “2024-2025 Best Public High Schools in South Carolina” list.
Key factors were used to determine each high school’s placement, such as college readiness, state assessment proficiency, and underserved student performance.
Read on for the rankings of public high schools in Anderson and Spartanburg counties, as well. The only Greenville County high school not included in the rankings was Fountain Inn High School, which opened in 2021.
What Greenville County high schools ranked among SC Top 25?
∎ No. 10: Wade Hampton High School
∎ No. 13: Greenville Senior High School Academy
∎ No. 19: No. Riverside High School
∎ No. 20: Eastside High School
∎ No. 21: Mauldin High School
∎ No. 23: J.L. Mann High School
How were the rankings determined?
U.S. News & World Report collected data from nearly 25,000 high schools across 50 states, including the District of Columbia, to determine where each high school ranked. Using the “Best High Schools Methodology,” the report focused on the following six key areas among nearly 17,660 schools:
∎ College Readiness, 30%: The proportions of 12th graders who took and earned a qualifying score on at least one AP or IB exam. Earning a qualifying score is worth three times more than just taking.
∎ State Assessment Proficiency, 20%: Aggregated scores on state assessments that students may be required to pass for graduation.
∎ State Assessment Performance, 20%: How aggregated scores on state assessments compare with U.S. News’ expectations given the proportions of students who are Black, Hispanic and from low-income households.
∎ Underserved Student Performance, 10%: Scores on state assessments aggregated just among students who are Black, Hispanic and from low-income households. These scores are compared with what is typical in the state for non-underserved students, with parity or higher being the goal.
∎ College Curriculum Breadth, 10%: The proportions of 12th graders who took and earned a qualifying score on AP and IB exams in multiple areas. More exams are valued more than fewer exams up to a maximum of four. Earning a qualifying score on an exam is worth three times more than taking.
∎ Graduation Rate, 10%: The proportion of entering ninth graders who graduated four academic years later.
What other Upstate high schools ranked in the US News and World Report SC list?
∎ No. 30: T.L. Hanna High School
∎ No. 34: Powdersville High School
∎ No. 35: Pendleton High School
∎ No. 37: Spartanburg High School
∎ No. 49: Greenville Technical Charter High School
∎ No. 71: High Point Academy
∎ No. 73: Legacy Early College
∎ No. 83: Anderson Five Charter School
∎ No. 96: Berea High School
∎ No. 99: Broome High School
∎ No. 121: Westside High An Early College Academy
∎ No. 142: Southside High School
∎ No. 157: Carolina Academy High School
∎ No. 166: Cyber Academy of South Carolina
Top 10 high schools in SC as ranked by US News & World Report
- Academic Magnet High School, North Charleston
- Aiken Scholars Academy
- Charleston School of the Arts, North Charleston
- Palmetto Scholars Academy, North Charleston
- Spring Hill High School, Chapin
- Wando High School, Mount Pleasant
- Fort Mill High School
- Mayo High for Match Science and Technology, Darlington
- Chapin High School
- Wade Hampton High School, Greenville.
Nina Tran covers trending topics. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com
