The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) and South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (EOC) are boasting statewide improvements in the 2025 South Carolina School Report Cards—noting rising test scores, academic growth and gains in college and career readiness.
The annual report released Monday measure schools across key performance indicators, including academic achievement, student progress, college and career readiness, and school climate. This year, the number of South Carolina schools earning an overall rating of ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’ increased from 549 to 623.
“These report cards tell a clear story: South Carolina students and educators are rolling up their sleeves and getting results,” said State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver. “From the Lowcountry to the Upstate, we’re proving that when teachers are empowered, communities are engaged, and high expectations meet strong support students soar."
South Carolina’s School Report Cards provide families, educators, and the community with a clear snapshot of how schools are performing, helping everyone stay informed and engaged on how their schools stack up.
They also provide a roadmap toward the state’s goal for every child to graduate college, career, or military ready, and that by 2030, at least 75% of students at or above grade level. 2025 highlights include:
Elementary schools:
- Nearly half of SC’s elementary schools are rated Good or better.
- More than a quarter of SC elementary schools improved their overall rating from 2024 to 2025.
- The percentage of elementary schools earning a Good or better on the ‘Academic Achievement’ and ‘Student Progress’ indicators rating increased 3% and 7% respectively over 2024.
Middle schools:
- Nearly one in three middle schools improved their overall ratings from 2024 to 2025.
- The percentage of middle schools earning a Good or better for the ‘Student Progress’ indicator rating increased from 22% in 2024 to 40% in 2025.
High schools:
- South Carolina’s On-Time Graduation Rate is at 86.7%, a 10-year high.
- The percentage of high schools earning a Good or better on the ‘College/Career Readiness’ indicator increased from 63% in 2024 to 75% in 2025.
State education leaders say college and career readiness remains a top priority for South Carolina students and more work must be done to ensure that a South Carolina diploma directly translates to post-secondary success.
“Our state report cards show that South Carolina’s on-time graduation rate for high school students remains high at 86.7%. This is great news, but we also acknowledge the need for an increase in students who are college and career ready,” said Education Oversight Committee Chair April Allen. “With this goal in mind, we are happy to acknowledge the recent approval of the SC tiered credential system. We expect this new system will better prepare our high school students for successful career paths as it is implemented in the upcoming years.”
The South Carolina’s tiered stackable credential system is expected to be fully implemented by the 2027-2028 school year, allowing districts and high schools adequate time to transition to the new system.