Are you trying to find the best school in Greenville for your kids? Here’s our list of magnet, charter, online and private schools. Plus, we’ve also included useful links and an interactive map to Greenville’s schools. For a list of 2017-2018 Greenville County Meet the Teacher Nights, New Parent Orientation and other Back to School events, see here.
You can click the links to go directly to the portion of the guide that you need information from.
RELATED: 35+ Preschools Our Readers Recommend & The Ultimate Homeschool Guide to Greenville
When we asked how we could make this list of best schools in Greenville, we were told that location is very important (and being parents ourselves we totally agree). As a result, we have put together this interactive Google map for you of not just the schools on this list but a wide variety of schools in Greenville.
Our map includes four layers:
To use the map, click the arrow tab on the top left corner to show the names of the schools and to filter out or in the categories. Click the top right brackets to open the map in a new screen for easier use.
See information on Kindergarten and First Grade registration. The cut-off date is September 1st.
Find the information on School Choice in Greenville County. From the Greenville County School Website: ” From November 20 – December 5, 2017, parents/guardians complete a choice form for up to three schools for their child and submit it at their number one choice school. Forms are available at each school. Parents receive a form number to later check the lottery results. Order of receipt of form during lottery window does not impact selection. (Note: Parents of 5K students for 2018-19 should submit choice requests during the Choice Lottery Window, and not wait until kindergarten registration in December 4-7.).”
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The magnet academies each focus on a specific theme. Admission is through application and is scored. Find full information on Magnet Schools in Greenville County.
Blythe Academy (Elementary) – French or Spanish Partial Immersion
East North Street Academy (Elementary) – Math and Science
Stone Academy (Elementary) – Communication Arts
Beck Academy (Middle) – International Middle Years Program
Greenville Middle Academy (Middle) – Global and Traditional Studies or French Partial Immersion
Hughes Middle Academy (Middle) – Science and Technology or Spanish Partial Immersion
League Academy (Middle) – Communication Arts
Carolina Academy (High) – Engineering or Health Professional
Greenville Senior High Academy (High) – Law, Business or Finance
J.L. Mann Academy (High) – Math or Science or Technology
Southside High Academy (High) – International Baccalaureate Middle Years and Diploma Programs
The list of charter schools in Greenville is constantly growing. Charter schools are public free tuition schools but are under private management. Reader reviews are included in italics.
864.288.4134 | 1440 Pelham Rd, Greenville
Offers: K-10, gradually increasing to 12 grades by 2019
“GREEN Charter School is great!”
“I second that! (GREEN)”
“I third GREEN Charter School! We love it!”
864.248.0646 | 900 Woodside Ave, Greenville
Offers: K5-12
Open Enrollment: open now
“My daughter loves Legacy Charter School”
864.770.1790 | 804 Mauldin Rd, Greenville
Offers: K5-8
864.757.1800 | 1830 W Georgia Rd, Simpsonville
Offers: 9-12
864.250.8844 | 506 S Pleasantburg Dr Bldg. 119, Greenville
Offers: 9-12
864.469.7571 | 138 W McElhaney Rd, Taylors
Offers: 9-12
Open Enrollment: From September 26- November 3, 2017
“[My] oldest just graduated from Greer Middle College Charter High School. It’s one of the top high schools in the state. I thank God daily that she won the lottery to go there so the other three can, too. Best school in GVL County.”
864.286.9700 | 1950 Woodruff Road, Greenville
Offers: 6-8
864.214.6398 | 2000 Wade Hampton Blvd, Greenville
Offers: 9-12
864.277.7575 | 29 Ridgeway Dr, Greenville
Offers: K4 – 3, with one additional grade being added each year until 8th grade is reached
These online schools are free tuition public schools that offer virtual classes for families who want to educate at home.
Website | 803.462.0254 | K-8 Tuition Free Virtual School | Facebook
Offers: K – 8
Offers: K – 12
“We’ve had a great experience with the Connections Academy online charter school. My daughter now attends the Charles Townes Center and LOVES it, in case your child is accepted. Don’t be afraid to explore all the options- our county has so many!!”
Offers: K – 12
Offers: K-12
The list of private schools in Greenville County is pretty large but we’ve listed several that our readers recommend as being their favorite schools in the area. We’ve included even more popular choices for private school on our interactive map at the top of this page.
Website | 864.679.4117 | 101 Hampton Avenue, Greenville | Facebook
Offers: K3-8th grade
St. Mary’s Catholic School, founded in 1900 and located on a beautiful ten acre campus in downtown Greenville, is a ministry of St. Mary’s Church, the first Catholic parish in Upstate South Carolina. Distinguished by the presence of the Nashville Dominican Sisters, St. Mary’s is a Blue Ribbon School accredited through the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges and is open to students from three-year-old kindergarten through the eighth grade. St. Mary’s Catholic School is a Christ-centered community which nurtures in all students a passion for academic, artistic and athletic excellence.
The primary mission of Saint Mary’s Catholic School is to invite our students to follow the Lord Jesus Christ as faithful disciples to prepare them for outstanding achievement in high school and later life. Our rigorous curriculum integrates academic excellence, athletic challenge, artistic expression, and character formation in the effort to serve the evangelical mission of Saint Mary’s Catholic Church and School.
Call to schedule your school tour: 864.679.4117.
Open House November 6-10
“St. Mary’s Catholic School downtown is absolutely amazing! My son Is in K3 and my daughter is in K5. They both “absolutely love it (and I do too).”
“We just moved here and are attending St. Mary’s downtown. It is an amazing school.”
864.299.1522 | 245 Cavalier Drive, Greenville | Facebook | Instagram
An independent college preparatory school in the Episcopal tradition with a carefully coordinated P(K)-12 curriculum, Christ Church Episcopal School is one of the Greenville, SC area’s most prestigious academic institutions.
If you are looking for a school that will offer your child an educational experience unlike any other in the Upstate, a school that will educate the whole child – intellectually, spiritually, morally, and physically – then you will want to consider becoming a part of the CCES family.
“My youngest is at CCEP (our oldest started there in K3) so we have been there 9 years. My two older boys are at CCES one in the lower school and one in the middle school. We have loved the schools and have had an amazing experience.”
“CCEP & CCES – best preschool & Primer through 12 respectively. Student ratio 1:10. Strong IB curriculum, great sport & performing arts facilities, My three boys are incredibly happy there and we also moved to Greenville 2 years ago. CCES & CCEP were / are our biggest family blessings.”
864.269.8999 | 847 Cleveland Street, Greenville
Offers: 4 – 8; private middle school for Learning Disabilities and ADD/ADHD children
Tuition: $925 monthly
“The staff is wonderful.”
864.233.0556 | 875 State Park Road, Greenville
Offers: K4 – 12
Tuition: from $348-679, monthly depending on grade level
“Wonderful, loving teachers!”
864.228.1881 | 1101 Jonesville Rd, Simpsonville
Offers: Toddler – 8th
Tuition: from $5250-12,500 annually, depending on grade level
“Five Oaks Academy is a wonderful little Montessori school. The teachers are kind and caring. The campus is wholesome and charming. It’s a really neat school.”
“Five Oaks Academy is amazing! I’ve never experienced a school quite like it. Five Oaks has a beautiful campus and amazing opportunities for children to learn Spanish, music, and gardening. Being a Montessori school, children learn with hands-on materials. My two children ADORE going to school there! My son told me, “I love weekends and all, but I love going to school best.” Five Oaks teaches a love of learning!”
864.288.1917 |150 S Main St, Mauldin
Offers: Preschool to 5
Open House: Jan. 24 at 6:15 pm
Tuition: from $300 – $390 monthly, depending on grade level
“Awesome teachers, small class sizes & Abeka curriculum.”
“We also have had wonderful experiences with Mauldin Christian Academy. We wanted smaller class sizes at least in the early foundation building years, and the teachers and school administration are all wonderful.”
“It was a good experience for us too.”
“We really love Mauldin Christian Academy! Very caring teachers and administration that provide a loving environment! Small class sizes are a plus and my son learns so much with the Abeka curriculum.”
864.232.3447 | 305 Pelham Road, Greenville SC
Offers: K2 – 3rd Grade
864.288.8613 |205b East Butler Rd, Mauldin
Offers: Infant to 6th
“We love the Montessori method and this school does a lot of extra curricular learning to really broaden a child’s horizons. They also offer year-round schooling which is great if both parents work full-time. The school is so awesome some parents commute 30+ minutes one way to take their child to school.”
“Montessori School of Mauldin-Amazing teachers and diverse environment. My daughter has thrived here.”
864.678.5107 |829 Garlington Rd, Greenville
Offers: K – 12
Tour Dates: 8:45 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 7, 14, 21, 28, 2017, Tuesday, December 5, 12, 2017, Tuesday, January 9, 16, 23, 30, 2018, Tuesday, February 6, 13, 20, 27, 2018, Tuesday, March, 6, 13, 20 2018, Tuesday, April, 3, 10, 17, 2018, Tuesday, May 1, 2018
Tuition: from $6235 – $11,400 annually, depending on grade level
“Shannon Forest Christian School is a K3 – 12th Grade, college-preparatory school that supports the Christian church and home by providing quality education from an evangelical, Biblical perspective.
A Shannon Forest education is unique. As a school we desire to provide our students with an education that roots them deeply in the Christian worldview, pushes them to think in the highest of categories, prepares them to interact with a world of difference, and readies them to work hard providing them with the space to own their education.
A Shannon Forest student is known. No student, in any grade, will fall through the cracks. Whether you come to us from overseas or have been at Shannon since preschool, our faculty and staff partner with each student and parent throughout the education experience.
But, best of all, Shannon Forest is a family. Our caring community is intentional in the way we treat our students, parents and one another. Our students benefit from small class sizes, weekly Bible studies, chapel, athletics, service projects and a wide range of extracurricular activities. Our doors are always open, new faces are always celebrated and our students are always loved.
For more information, contact Director of Admissions Candace Kurtz at 864.678.5113 or email ckurtz@shannonforest.com.”
“Small class sizes that allow for the ability to track your child’s progress from Lower School to High School graduation.”
864.385.6020 | 212 Roper Mountain Rd, Greenville
Offers: 6 weeks to 5th grade (full day and week with partial attendance option)
“Carolina international preparatory school, they go from babies to grade 5. Small ratio teacher/student. Learning is fun and teachers are really engage!”
“Carolina International Preparatory School. The amazing teachers are great at making learning fun. They are also great at being patient and teaching morals and manners.”
864.235.0122 | 200 W. Washington Street, Greenville
Offers: K2-8th Grade, half day 2-5 days for preschool with a full day option for K5
“We have had a wonderful experience at First Pres and would highly recommend it.”
864.297.6646 | 724 Garlington Rd, Greenville
“Mt. Zion Christian School! Loving teachers, Creative, encouraging learning environment, character education…it’s great!”
864.234.7597 | 2211 Woodruff Road, Simpsonville
Offers: Toddler – 12th grade (half day for preschool)
Tuition: $2,585-$13,145/yearly tuition
“Southside Christian School has a wonderful Early Education program beginning at 18 months!”
864.268.2210 | 207 Mitchell Rd, Greenville
Offers: K3-8th grade
For over 40 years, Mitchell Road Christian Academy has produced academically excellent students of high character through quality education with a biblical worldview.
In our Elementary School, we equip students with skills to apply newly mastered content as independent thinkers who take responsibility for their own learning and progress. Project-based learning, technology integration, and experiential opportunities help develop critical thinking and creative problem solving while engaging our students with real world applications.
MRCA’s Middle School is where critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creative problem solving receive greater emphasis in order to fully prepare each student for high school. Through our extensive biblical worldview integrated curriculum and inquiry-based instruction, MRCA Middle School students develop in character and become more equipped as ambassadors for Christ. Electives and extracurricular activities such as mentoring and robotics are plentiful, challenging, and engaging. Middle School Retreats are a highlight of the year, too, allowing teachers and students to get to know each other, deepen friendships, and grow in Christ.
MRCA provides the highest quality Christian education at the most affordable rates in Greenville, SC. Come take a tour of our campus and see all we can offer your family! Call us today at 864-268-2210.
“We love our school, Mitchell Road Christian Academy (Official)! They offer a solid curriculum, strong academics, and superb athletics. MRCA is a community made up of veteran teachers and wonderful families. My children have made life-long friends in just a year and a half. I love how the school partners with the parents to instill biblical character in our children. “
“Yes to Mitchell Road Christian!!! Great little community, an emphasis on biblical world view, strong academics, athletics, and opportunities in the arts. The teachers genuinely love the kids and their professions, they are a great balance of experience and fresh ideas. All of that and one of the best deals in town!”
864.509.6408 | 401 Batesville Road, Simpsonville
Offers: K2-5th grade
Our excellent teachers, small class sizes, rigorous curriculum, and Christian environment will benefit your child in so many ways. Limited openings so visit today!
864.501.6822 | 2820 Woodruff Rd., Simpsonville
Offers: Kindergarten
Tuition: $400/month per month
Hidden Gem in Five Forks! Small Classes, Degreed Teachers, Flexible Schedules, Christian Education, All Welcome.
Do you know of a school that we missed? Let us know in the comments!
Are you looking for the perfect birthday party venue in Greenville? Or maybe you want a fun party brought to your own place to entertain the kids? Here is our list of birthday party packages in Greenville, SC. We are constantly adding to this list and you will even find some exclusive discounts. This list does contain paid featured listings marked as sponsor as well as free listings. Would you like to see your venue added? Email us at elizabeth@kiddingaroundgreenville.com.
Are you looking for even more party ideas and willing to drive a little? Check out our list of birthday party venues in Spartanburg!
This list is for informational purposes only using both our readers recommendations, research, and submitted listings. Prices & availability is subject to change.