Charleston School of the Arts

5109-B West Enterprise Street
North Charleston, SC 29405

1,061 Students

High School 6th - 12th

School Overview

Charleston School of the Arts (SOA) is a highly acclaimed, tuition-free public magnet school serving students in grades 6 through 12 within the Charleston County School District. Located in North Charleston, the school is nationally recognized for its rigorous dual-focus curriculum that balances intensive pre-professional arts training with a demanding academic program. Students must audition for admission, ensuring a dedicated student body that is deeply committed to their respective artistic disciplines.

The school offers a wide array of majors, including band, creative writing, dance, theater, piano, strings, visual arts, and vocal music. Beyond the studio and stage, SOA maintains a reputation for academic excellence, consistently ranking among the top-performing schools in South Carolina. By fostering a collaborative environment where creativity and scholarship intersect, Charleston School of the Arts prepares its students not only for success in collegiate fine arts programs but also for diverse professional pathways that value critical thinking, discipline, and creative problem-solving.

1,061

Total Students

71.5

Full-Time Teachers

14.8

Student/Teacher Ratio

N/A

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for Charleston School of the Arts
Demographic	Student Count
White	731
Hispanic	82
Black	148
Asian	50
Two or More	46
American Indian	2
Pacific Islander	2

White
731 (68.9 %)
Black
148 (13.9 %)
Hispanic
82 (7.7 %)
Asian
50 (4.7 %)
Two or More
46 (4.3 %)
American Indian
2 (0.2 %)
Pacific Islander
2 (0.2 %)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	High School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	Supplemental Virtual
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	Charleston 01
Phone:	(843)529-4990
Grade Range:	6th - 12th
Total Students:	1,061
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	71.5
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	14.8
NSLP Participation:¹	Yes participating without using any Provision or the CEO
Qualified Free Lunch:	0
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Grade 6 160

Grade 7 161

Grade 8 156

Grade 9 155

Grade 10 145

Grade 11 133

Grade 12 151