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Public middle school · Richland 01 · Columbia, South Carolina

W. G. Sanders Middle

W. G. Sanders Middle rates 4.9, right at the middle of Richland 01's middle schools, whose rated median is 5.0.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
4.9this school

4.9 on a one-to-ten scale; the Richland 01 median is 5.0.

#977 of 1,190 schools in South Carolina · Richland 01: 9 middle schools rated, median 5.0

The brief

A Richland 01 middle school where students score 12 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 977 of 1,190 schools in South Carolina and 41 of 47 in Richland 01.

W. G. Sanders Middle is listed in Richland 01, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math26%16 points below the South Carolina average of 42%Grades 6–8 · 455 students tested · 2026 SC READY
Reading43%15 points below the South Carolina average of 58%Grades 6–8 · 457 students tested · 2026 SC READY
In 2026, 26% of students were proficient in math and 43% in reading, against South Carolina averages of 42% and 58%.2026 SC READY; 37 test records from SC state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
3.4
40% of the rating
Academics
3.3
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
9.4
25% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 6 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 29% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 42% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SC READY · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 SC READY · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 29204; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
W. G. Sanders Middle and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$49,745
Median home value
$185,800
Median rent
$993/mo
College educated
38.7%
Homeownership
59.1%
Poverty rate
21.7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 29204; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
48
Car-Dependent
Transit Score
26
Some Transit
Bike Score
33
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
3,931/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Columbia. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Columbia), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
100%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. Crayton Middle1.8 mi
    8.5Compare →
  2. Hand Middle3.2 mi
    8.1Compare →
  3. Dent Middle2.6 mi
    7.7Compare →
  4. Pendergrass Fairwold School1.4 mi
    6.1Compare →
  5. Clear Dot Charter School3.1 mi · charter
    5.4Compare →
  6. W. A. Perry Middle1.4 mi
    5.0Compare →
  7. W. G. Sanders Middlethis school
    4.9
  8. Alcorn Middle2.4 mi
    4.1Compare →
  9. Palmetto Achievement Center for Excellence Academy1.9 mi · charter
    3.4Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and six rate higher than W. G. Sanders Middle.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does W. G. Sanders Middle serve?

W. G. Sanders Middle serves students in grades 6th through 8th.

How many students attend W. G. Sanders Middle?

W. G. Sanders Middle has an enrollment of approximately 524 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at W. G. Sanders Middle?

The student-teacher ratio at W. G. Sanders Middle is 10.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does W. G. Sanders Middle rank in SC?

W. G. Sanders Middle ranks #977 of 1,190 schools in SC.

What is W. G. Sanders Middle's MySchoolScout rating?

W. G. Sanders Middle has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.9 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at W. G. Sanders Middle?

Based on loaded state assessment records, W. G. Sanders Middle has 29% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 42% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is W. G. Sanders Middle a charter school?

No, W. G. Sanders Middle is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is W. G. Sanders Middle a Title I school?

No, W. G. Sanders Middle is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for W. G. Sanders Middle?

100.0% of students at W. G. Sanders Middle qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
6th – 8th
Enrollment
524
Student-teacher ratio
10.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
51
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Midsize City
County
Richland County
Phone
(803) 735-7575
Rank in district
#41 of 47
Schools in district
48
District spending per student
$18,992
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
24.2%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 29204)
18,067
Area average commute
20.3 min
Area median age
36.7

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

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.