The Best Schools in the Myrtle Beach Area
Moving to a new area is a very involved process. We have written about this many times in previous posts – there are so many decisions that you need to make, and so many hoops that you need to jump through. With the help of a good realtor, that can all be taken care of easily! If you are moving to the Myrtle Beach area with a family, one very important aspect to consider during the homebuying process is what school your children will attend. Being around high-quality schools is crucial for your children’s development, and what neighborhood your house is in directly impacts your children’s education. After all, your children will probably spend more time at school than they will awake at home throughout the week!
This post will break down the best schools in the Myrtle Beach area so that you can use them as a factor in deciding where to buy your home. Niche.com is a great resource for doing background research on schools and neighborhoods, and the below list is the result of their 2022 analyses. This list is not exhaustive. For the sake of brevity, we chose to keep this list to just the three best public schools at each level, plus the best school overall which happens to be private. The schools on this list are all located in Horry County, but not all of them are directly in the city of Myrtle Beach.
The Best Schools in the Myrtle Beach Area - Overall
1. Lowcountry Preparatory School
Lowcountry Preparatory School is widely regarded as the best private school in the area, and it serves kindergarten through twelfth grade. This school of around 150 students has a great reputation for its academic rigor and quality of instruction, and this is evidenced by the fact that 100% of graduates go on to attend a 4-year college or university. While it is the best school in the entire Myrtle Beach area, it comes with a catch – Lowcountry Preparatory School is a private school, carrying a tuition bill of up to $11,000 per year. While the price is steep (compared to public school, which is free), the quality of education may be enough to sway you to enroll your children here. Lowcountry Preparatory School is located in Pawley’s Island.
The Best Schools in the Myrtle Beach Area – Elementary Schools
Choosing a good elementary school for your children can be a daunting task in and of itself, as you want to make sure that your children are safe and in good hands. After all, this is the most vulnerable stage of their lives and one of the most crucial stages of their cognitive development. Here are the best three public elementary schools in Myrtle Beach, according to Niche.com.
1. Seaside Elementary School
Seaside Elementary School tops the list of the best elementary schools in Myrtle Beach on Niche.com. With a student body of just under 500 kids ranging from Pre-K to fifth grade and a student to teacher ratio of 14 to 1, Seaside Elementary School is able to give each child a great amount of individual attention. Seaside Elementary School is located in Garden City, and it is a part of Horry County Schools, as it is public. Seaside Elementary School is especially good at teaching math, with over 75% percent of its students testing as at least proficient in the subject.
2. Ocean Bay Elementary
With over 900 students and a student to teacher ratio of 18 to 1, Ocean Bay Elementary is massive. This school serves Pre-K through fifth grade, meaning that there are over 100 students in each grade. While the size of the school may be off-putting for some, Niche.com ranks Ocean Bay Elementary as the second-best elementary school in the area. Ocean Bay Elementary is located in Myrtle Beach proper and is a part of Horry County Schools. The test scores here are comparable to the scores at Seaside Elementary School, which is admirable given that the student body is twice the size.
3. Burgess Elementary School
Rounding out the list of the best elementary schools in Myrtle Beach according to Niche.com is Burgess Elementary School. Burgess Elementary School has a student body of just over 700 students ranging from Pre-K to fifth grade, averaging out to about 100 students per grade. With a student to teacher ratio of 17 to 1, students are bound to get good individual attention. The test scores are slightly lower here than at the other two elementary schools on this list, but still acceptable. Burgess Elementary School is located in Myrtle Beach proper and is a part of Horry County Schools.
The Best Schools in the Myrtle Beach Area – Middle Schools
While children are very vulnerable and dependent during elementary school, they are the most impressionable during middle school. Middle school is a time that is filled with a lot of growth and development and having a solid support system is very important during this stage of life. With that in mind, here are the three best public middle schools in Myrtle Beach according to Niche.com.
1. Socastee Middle
Socastee Middle is the highest rated public school in the Myrtle Beach area on Niche.com. With a student body of just under 500 students ranging from sixth grade to eighth grade, this school is much larger than the first one on our list. With a student to teacher ratio of 15 to 1, the student body is well taken care of – and just about two thirds of students are at least proficient in reading and math. Socastee Middle is located in Myrtle Beach proper. As a public school, Socastee Middle is part of Horry County Schools.
2. Ocean Bay Middle School
As the second highest rated public school in the Myrtle Beach area on Niche.com, Ocean Bay Middle School is a fantastic alternative to Socastee Middle, and is located in Myrtle Beach proper. This school of about 700 students is bigger than Socastee Middle and actually earns slightly higher test scores, too. The tradeoff is that the student to teacher ratio is slightly higher at around 16 to 1. As a public school, Ocean Bay Middle School is part of Horry County Schools. One attendee says that the staff and teachers are especially helpful, nice, and accepting. This is a fantastic option if you are moving to the Myrtle Beach area!
3. Ten Oaks Middle
As the biggest of the middle schools on this list, Ten Oaks Middle is quite the school. With a student body of over a thousand kids and an average grade size of well over three hundred students, Ten Oaks Middle affords your kids with many opportunities that a smaller school might not. With that being said, Ten Oaks Middle has the highest student to teacher ratio of all the middle schools on this list, at 17 to 1. Online reviews say that Ten Oaks Middle takes bullying very seriously and addresses issues effectively. Ten Oaks Middle is located in Myrtle Beach proper and is a part of Horry County Schools.
The Best Schools in the Myrtle Beach Area – High Schools
Elementary school and middle school present their own challenges and priorities, but there is no time as critical in a child’s social and professional future as high school. Your child’s high school years are one of the most formative times in their life, and whether or not they choose to go to college, their high school education will carry a large role throughout the rest of their life. Sending your children to a high school that gives them the opportunity to stretch their wings while also challenging and assisting them in the classroom is absolutely critical. Here are the three best public high schools in Myrtle Beach, according to Niche.com.
1. St. James High School
Despite the Catholic name, St. James High School is a public school and part of Horry County Schools. This school has a student body of just over 1,700 students and a student to teacher ratio of 18 to 1. St. James High School is located in Murrells Inlet. This school offers a robust selection of AP and gifted courses, achieves great test scores, and has a good reputation for sending students to college. 84% of students graduate and graduating seniors from St. James High School earn an average SAT score of 1180 and ACT score of 25. Students tend to love attending St. James High School, and it earns generally positive reviews across the board.
2. Carolina Forest High School
Carolina Forest High School takes the second overall spot on Niche.com’s list of the best high schools in Myrtle Beach. Located in Myrtle Beach proper, Carolina Forest High School is a public school and is part of Horry County Schools. Carolina Forest High School has a student body of over 2,600 students and a student to teacher ratio of 21 to 1. While that number is significantly higher than St. James High School, it is not reflected in the test scores. In fact, Carolina Forest High School earns a higher graduation rate at 87%, a higher average SAT score among graduating seniors at 1190, and an equal ACT score at 25. Students tend to really love it at Carolina Forest High School, with the school earning very positive reviews and an average of 4 out of 5 stars.
3. Socastee High School
Socastee High School is the final school to make our list, coming in at third place on Niche.com. With a student body of over 1600 and a student to teacher ratio of 17 to 1, Socastee High School is the smallest and most personal school on this list. Located in Myrtle Beach proper, Socastee High School is a part of Horry County Schools and earns great reviews across the board by students and families. The AP enrollment at Socastee High School is the lowest of any school on this list at just 10%, but the graduation rate of 85% falls in the middle, and the average SAT score of 1180 and ACT score of 25 fall right in step with the other schools on this list. All in all, you can’t go wrong with Socastee High School, and most students would agree.
Thanks for reading our post on the best schools in Myrtle Beach! As realtors, it is our job to help you as much as we can throughout your homebuying process. This list is not exhaustive by any means – really, these schools are just the cream of the crop at each level in the Myrtle Beach area. Just because a school is not on this list does not mean that it is a bad school by any means. The public school system in and around Myrtle Beach is generally regarded to be quite good, and sending your children to any of these schools especially will help them to be set up for success as they continue to grow. We’ve called Myrtle Beach home for years, and we can personally vouch for how great the area is for raising a family.
If you visit Myrtle Beach or any other place in South Carolina and fall in love, reach out to us for help. We at The Boyd Team are always here to help you figure out whether Myrtle Beach is your next home or not, and we are committed to helping you find the right property for your needs and dreams. Any question that you have about moving to the area and finding your dream home by the beach is our pleasure to answer. Feel free to send us an email at eddie@boydteam.com or text or call us at (843) 222-8566, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Being true natives of the Grand Strand and Horry County and with over 25 years of experience in the local real estate market, whether buying or selling, we can help you make your dreams a reality.
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