Richland 02 School District
School District · Columbia, South Carolina
Avg Rating
6.7
out of 10
Schools
32
23 elem, 4 mid, 5 high
Per-Pupil Spending
$14,024
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.7:1
Avg Rating
6.7
out of 10
Schools
32
23 elem, 4 mid, 5 high
Per-Pupil Spending
$14,024
Student-Teacher Ratio
13.7:1
Evaluating Richland 02?
A district shares budget, policy, and attendance zones across its schools — use this page to judge Richland 02 as a whole, then compare how its individual schools differ.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus
Blythewood · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
Blythewood High
Blythewood · High. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
Jackson Creek Elementary
Columbia · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
How this district compares
South Carolina rank
#19 of 77
districts by avg. composite
Vs. state average
+0.5
above South Carolina avg
Per-pupil spending
$14,024
$307 vs South Carolina median
District size
28,917 students
Much larger than South Carolina median
The short answer
Richland 02 ranks #19 of 77 South Carolina districts by overall school rating. Richland 02's schools with real test data average 6.7/10 across 32 schools. Its top-rated schools are Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus (9.0/10), Blythewood High (8.9/10), and Jackson Creek Elementary (8.5/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Rates 8.5/10 despite 100% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.7 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Richland 02 schools.
Top-Rated Schools in Richland 02
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (32 of 32). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus | 9.0 / 10 |
| 2 | Blythewood High | 8.9 / 10 |
| 3 | Jackson Creek Elementary | 8.5 / 10 |
| 4 | Round Top Elementary | 8.1 / 10 |
| 5 | Lake Carolina Elementary Upper Campus | 8.1 / 10 |
| 6 | Richland Northeast High | 7.8 / 10 |
| 7 | Catawba Trail Elementary | 7.7 / 10 |
| 8 | Bookman Road Elementary | 7.5 / 10 |
| 9 | Ridge View High | 7.4 / 10 |
| 10 | Forest Lake Elementary | 7.4 / 10 |
See all 32 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
About Richland 02
Richland School District 2 serves 28,917 students across 32 ranked schools in South Carolina. The district averages 6.4 out of 10 across all ranked campuses — a figure that reflects the full spread. The highest-scoring schools land considerably above that mark.
Blythewood High leads the district at 8.4 out of 10. Jackson Creek Elementary ties that score, making it the top elementary in the district. Finding both the top high school and the top elementary at 8.4 in the same 32-school district signals that strong performance isn't concentrated at one grade level. L. B. Nelson Elementary (8.2) and Richland Northeast High (8.2) each sit more than a full point above the 6.4 district average. Bookman Road Elementary completes the top five at 7.9, giving Richland 2 five schools that each exceed the district average by at least 1.5 points.
Elementary families have three credible options — Jackson Creek, L. B. Nelson, and Bookman Road — clustered between 7.9 and 8.4. In a district of 28,917 students and 32 schools, that density of high-scoring elementary campuses means parents aren't locked into a single standout. Multiple strong targets exist at the elementary level, and which school a family can access depends largely on where they live within district boundaries.
Both high schools in the top five score above 8.0. Blythewood High earns 8.4 — the same mark as the top elementary — and Richland Northeast High scores 8.2. Each sits at least 1.8 points above the 6.4 district average. That average reflects all 32 schools; the district's top performers operate in a different tier. Parents mapping their children's K-12 path within Richland 2 will find the score spread strongly favors those in the attendance zones of the district's five highest-ranked schools.
District Map
Schools in Richland 02, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.
District Average Test Scores
Average proficiency across all schools in Richland 02 with test data.
Schools in Richland 02
32 schools Elementary Schools 23
Middle Schools 4
District Details
- State
- South Carolina
- City
- Columbia
- Total Enrollment
- 28,917
- Teachers (FTE)
- 2,108
- Child Poverty Rate
- 0.1%
- Data Year
- 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools are in Richland 02?
Richland 02 has 32 schools in total — 23 elementary, 4 middle, and 5 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.
What is the average rating for Richland 02?
The average composite rating for Richland 02 is 6.7/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.
What is the per-pupil spending in Richland 02?
Richland 02 spends $14,024 per student per year.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Richland 02?
The average student-teacher ratio in Richland 02 is 13.7:1.
What is the top-rated school in Richland 02?
Lake Carolina Elementary Lower Campus is the highest-rated school in Richland 02 with a composite score of 9.0/10.
What are the test scores in Richland 02?
Across schools in Richland 02 with test data, the average math proficiency is 55.9% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 58.4%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.
How does Richland 02 compare to other districts in South Carolina?
Richland 02 has an average school rating of 6.7/10 across 32 schools. Families can compare this to other districts in South Carolina by visiting individual district pages. Factors like school size, available programs, and community demographics also play a role in choosing the right fit.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools?
MySchoolScout ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and learning environment — plus college readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context without being factored into the score. Learn more about our rating system on our methodology page.
District Averages
- Overall Rating
- 6.7/10
- Math Proficiency
- 55.9%
- ELA Proficiency
- 58.4%
Resources
How we rate schools
A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.
See how we rateOther School Districts in SC
Compare Richland 02 with neighboring districts in the state.
- Greenville 01 (93)
- Charleston 01 (82)
- Horry 01 (57)
- Richland 01 (48)
- Berkeley 01 (47)
- Aiken 01 (41)
- Sc Public Charter School District (39)
- Beaufort 01 (32)
- Lexington 01 (31)
- Charter Institute at Erskine (27)
- Orangeburg (27)
- Dorchester 02 (25)
- York 03 (25)
- Sumter 01 (25)
- Florence 01 (24)
- Pickens 01 (24)
- Lancaster 01 (23)
- Lexington 05 (23)
- York 04 (20)
- Anderson 05 (19)
- Darlington 01 (19)
- Georgetown 01 (19)
- Kershaw 01 (17)
- Oconee 01 (17)
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, South Carolina Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.
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