Charleston Collegiate

Nestled under grand, moss-laden live oaks, Charleston Collegiate School offers a thirty-acre campus of vast playing fields and wooded trails. Located only twenty minutes from Charleston’s sophisticated historic district on one side and Kiawah Island on the other, the school stands in the middle of the rural beauty of John's Island. Originally called Sea Island Academy, the school was founded in 1970 to serve local families who valued quality education. As the school grew, a decision was made to focus its energies on a more rigorous, college-oriented curriculum, and in 2002, it was renamed the Charleston Collegiate School. Because of its unique location and its far more diversified population, Charleston Collegiate attracts students from far-reaching areas such as Daniel Island, Mount Pleasant, Sullivan’s Island, the Isle of Palms, and Summerville.

The Charleston Collegiate environment values creativity, compassion for others, a passion for learning, and vibrant diversity. Charleston Collegiate School is a nonsectarian, independent school organized as a Lower School (PS-4), Middle School (5-8), and Upper School (9-12). Charleston Collegiate utilizes a Four Pillars of Learning curriculum: Project-based Learning, Fine Arts and Creativity, Leadership through Outdoor Education, and Entrepreneurship.

In addition to a core of remarkably talented, seasoned teachers, the predominantly young faculty at Charleston Collegiate School reflects a dedication to the idea of developing an extraordinary academic environment, sensitive to future needs. Almost 75% of our faculty have Masters Degrees or PhDs. There is a healthy range in age and experience; most teachers are 25-35 years old and bring strong teaching experience.

CCS is the only co-educational, non-sectarian, preschool through 12th grade, independent school in the metropolitan area; this distinction has allowed the school to be far more diverse, with a minority enrollment of almost 25%. CCS is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Independent Schools (SAIS) and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the South Carolina Independent Schools Association (SCISA), the Palmetto Association of Independent Schools (PAIS), the National Center for Independent School Renewal (NCISR), the Education Records Bureau, and the Coalition of Essential Schools.