enrollment
Nearly Half of SC Districts Hit Record Lows
38 of South Carolina's 81 school districts recorded their lowest enrollment in 12 years in 2025-26, while 64 declined and only 7 reached highs.
South Carolina Education News & Data
equity
South Carolina's Homeless Absence Rate Has Not Budged in Four Years
Homeless students in SC have a 48.7% chronic absenteeism rate that has barely budged in four years, while foster care students are getting worse.
school-choice
How a Small College Built SC's Sixth-Largest School District
The Charter Institute at Erskine grew from 8,450 to 28,376 students in seven years, becoming SC's sixth-largest district.
demographics
One in Seven SC Students Is Now Hispanic
Hispanic enrollment in SC nearly doubled in 11 years, from 60,023 to 116,754. Without that growth, the state would have lost students.
district-spotlight
Six SC Districts Have Declined Every Year for 11 Straight Years
Colleton, Darlington, Fairfield, McCormick, Marion, and Williamsburg have lost a combined 8,634 students since 2015. All six are at all-time lows.
enrollment
South Carolina's Recovery Is Over
After fully recovering from COVID and reaching a peak of 796,780 students, South Carolina lost 7,694 in a single year. The 800,000 milestone will not be reached.
demographics
White Students Fell Below 50% Seven Years Ago. The Gap Keeps Widening.
South Carolina crossed the majority-minority threshold in 2019 and the shift is accelerating, driven by a 94.5% surge in Hispanic enrollment and a 14.9% drop in Black students.
enrollment
South Carolina Publishes 2025-26 Enrollment Data
SCDE releases 2025-26 enrollment data showing 789,086 students statewide — down 7,694 from a record high, the first non-COVID decline in a decade.