By admin 
On Monday, the South Carolina State Superintendent of Education, Ellen Weaver, released this year’s SC School Report Cards, announcing the results at the State House.
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The report detailed the progress schools across the Palmetto State have made year over year, and it says many educational institutions are seeing improvements. The SC Department of Education collaborates with the SC Education Oversight Committee to create the report cards.
The State recently reported that an SC public school ranked among the top public schools in the U.S., according to a nationwide report.
“Students are rising to the challenge, educators are working tirelessly to help them succeed, and schools are proving every day that ZIP code does not define destiny,” said Superintendent Weaver. “When we combine high expectations with strong support, South Carolina students can compete with anyone, anywhere.”
Here are some of the key takeaways from this year’s report card:
2026 SC school report card takeaways
Schools are graded and grouped into five different categories: Excellent, Good, Average, Below Average and Unsatisfactory.
According to this year’s report cards, the number of South Carolina schools earning an overall rating of Excellent increased from 270 to 320, while the number of schools rated Below Average or Unsatisfactory continued to decline. Nearly half of the state’s elementary schools and more than half of its middle schools are now rated Good or Excellent.
“A strong education is the foundation of a strong South Carolina,” said Gov. Henry McMaster in a press release. “We have worked to support our teachers and raise academic expectations in our schools, and it is encouraging to see more students succeeding in the classroom.”
The total percentage of schools that earned an Excellent or Good rating equals 52.3%, the highest level in the history of this current report card rating system, which started back in 2018. The percentage of schools scoring Below Average or Unsatisfactory is also at its lowest, sitting at 9.9%.
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In 2026, 24.7% of schools earned an Excellent rating, 27.6% earned a Good rating, 37.9% earned an Average rating, 8.0% earned a Below Average rating and 1.9% earned an Unsatisfactory rating.
SC high school’s on-time graduation rate reached 87.5%, the highest level in a decade.
At the same time, the connection between earning a diploma and being prepared for life after high school continues to strengthen, with more than eight in ten high schools now earning a rating of Good or Excellent for College and Career Readiness.
How did schools improve?
The SC Department of Education says years of decisive leadership, sustained effort and rigorous standards are the main reasons why many schools in the Palmetto State are seeing these improvements.
Over the past several years, the SCDE has worked alongside educators, families and school and district leaders to ensure students’ success.
“Superintendent Weaver, Governor McMaster, and the General Assembly have worked together to ensure that our education system continues to improve and provides our children with the opportunities they deserve,” said Senate President Thomas Alexander.
To see how your child’s school scored in this year’s report card, click here and enter the school’s name.
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