Hilton Head Island has a reputation as a great place to visit, and an even better place to live. Families moving to the island enjoy world-class beaches, tennis, golf, restaurants, water sports, and much more. Any family considering a move to Hilton Head Island will naturally be curious as to the quality of the schools. Hilton Head High School, now known as Hilton Head Island High School, is just one of the many world-class schools to be found on the island.

Hilton Head Island High School is the leading high school in the Beaufort County School District. It boasts impressive pass rates for the HSAP, South Carolina’s tough-as-nails exit exam, which is required for graduation. In 2008, 90% of the students passed the English-Language Arts portion of the test, and 85% passed the mathematics portion. These are easily the highest numbers in the school district and, considering that South Carolina has some of the toughest state tests in the nation, are a great demonstration of just how good Hilton Head High School really is.

Hilton Head Island High School is located on the Hilton Head public school campus, where all of the public schools on the island are located, including the elementary schools and middle school that feed into the high school. One of the elementary schools has instituted the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, and the high school is home to the IB diploma program. This is another of the crown jewels of Hilton Head High School, as it gives students the opportunity to experience the rigors of an international-level program. Students who earn the full IB diploma open a number of doors for themselves, from generous scholarships to the opportunity to go to a university in another country and earn their degree there. This speaks to the rigor of the IB program, as most overseas universities do not accept students from the United States unless they have proved themselves exceptional.

If the above evidence hasn’t convinced you, consider this: Hilton Head Island High School is ranked number 426 in the nation by Newsweek magazine on its list of the top 1500 high schools in the United States. The majority of the nation’s schools never even make this list at all. Once again, this speaks to the quality of education available to students at Hilton Head High School. Any family considering a move to the island should not hesitate, because a world-class education awaits their children at Hilton Head Island High School.