Schools in Myrtle Beach, SC

As a medium-sized coastal city, Myrtle Beach has dozens of residential neighborhoods with serious perks: convenience to the beach or intracoastal waterway, parks, major commuting roads, and schools for all ages. And picking the right school for your family matters. In Myrtle Beach, the Horry County School District is the public school system that serves city residents.

Horry County School District

Horry County is the fourth largest county by population in South Carolina. The Horry County School District (HCSD) is the third largest in the state, with 56 schools spread throughout nine separate attendance areas. It serves 46,000 students in grades PK-12.

Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach fall under the district. Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach are distinct cities/communities, and each has separate HCSD schools.

The HCSD Myrtle Beach schools are:

• Myrtle Beach Early Childhood School (child development & kindergarten)
• Myrtle Beach Primary (Pre-K, grades K – 2)
• Myrtle Beach Elementary (grades 3 – 5)
• Myrtle Beach Middle (grades 6 – 8)
• Myrtle Beach High School (grades 9 – 12)

The Myrtle Beach Early Childhood School serves about 500 students in childhood development classes and kindergarten learning environments. The school offers a three-year-old class group as well as resources classes, OT/PT, and self-contained classes.

Myrtle Beach Primary School

The Myrtle Beach Primary School is just off Grissom Parkway. The school has nearly 700 students in pre-kindergarten through second grade. The academic design includes Learning Villages for first- and second-grade students to help increase self-confidence and a sense of belonging.

Myrtle Beach Elementary School

As children in the Myrtle Beach community develop, the Myrtle Beach Elementary School welcomes the young students onto a new campus after second grade completion. The Myrtle Beach Elementary School serves third through fifth grade. Students have access to Personalized Digital Learning technology, including ALEKS, the web-based educational environment for grades kindergarten through twelfth. The Student Learning Commons also is available for access to ebooks and various digital databases.

Myrtle Beach Middle School

The Myrtle Beach Middle School is the home of the Seahawks and serves grades six through eight. All students have access to the HCS (Horry County Schools) Personalized Learning Initiative that tailors learning experiences to an individual’s interests, needs, and strengths.

The middle school has elective classes to complement the core curriculum. These include band, chorus, and orchestra. School clubs are diverse, ranging from Book Club to robotics, manga/anime, Mathcounts, and student leadership.

Myrtle Beach High School

Home of the Seahawks, Myrtle Beach High School is for grades nine through twelve and offers a full range of core academics, electives, special programs, athletics, and activities. Students receive instruction via a 4 x 4 block program with classes taught in 90-minute blocks. Specialty programs include but are not limited to:

• Advanced Placement Academy
• Technology Academy (project-based learning)
• Career & Technology Education
• GSSM (Governor’s School for Science and Math) Accelerate Virtual Engineering Program (designed for students grades 10 – 12; students apply for program in grade 9)

Private Education

Private schools also are available in Myrtle Beach as well. These schools are not part of the HCSD and tend to be religious in nature. They include:

• St. Andrews Catholic School (K-8)
• Calvary Christian School (PK-12)
• Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach (K-12)
• Risen Christ Christian Academy (PK-12)
• Faith First Christian (K-9)

Continuing education

For higher education, the Horry Georgetown Technical College is part of the HCSD and has a campus in Myrtle Beach. Another option is Myrtle Beach College, a private Christian-based college with two-year degree programs.

From pre-kindergarten through college, Myrtle Beach through the Horry County School District and private institutions provides educational opportunities for the city’s young residents.

Updated November 2023