| Rank* | County | Percent of 3rd Graders Below Basic on 2008 PACT (ELA) | Rank* | County | Percent of 5th Graders Below Basic on 2008 PACT (ELA) | Rank* | County | Percent of 8th Graders Below Basic on 2008 PACT (ELA) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Horry | 5.5 | 1 | Horry | 14.2 | 1 | Anderson | 19.4 |
| 2 | Calhoun | 5.8 | 2 | Anderson | 14.5 | 2 | Oconee | 20.0 |
| 3 | Anderson | 7.1 | 3 | Pickens | 15.2 | 3 | Horry | 20.3 |
| 4 | Williamsburg | 8.7 | 4 | Dorchester | 16.7 | 4 | Edgefield | 20.7 |
| 5 | Dorchester | 9.0 | 5 | Calhoun | 17.3 | 5 | Kershaw | 21.6 |
| 6 | Abbeville | 9.1 | 6 | York | 17.5 | 6 | York | 21.9 |
| 7 | Oconee | 9.5 | 7 | Oconee | 17.8 | 7 | Lexington | 22.2 |
| 8 | Pickens | 9.6 | 8 | Georgetown | 18.2 | 8 | Spartanburg | 23.8 |
| 9 | Georgetown | 10.0 | 9 | Kershaw | 18.9 | 9 | Pickens | 24.1 |
| 10 | Union | 10.2 | 10 | Greenwood | 19.6 | 10 | Dorchester | 24.8 |
| 11 | York | 11.1 | 11 | Lexington | 20.0 | 11 | Aiken | 25.7 |
| 12 | Aiken | 11.6 | 12 | Abbeville | 20.2 | 12 | Greenville | 27.0 |
| 13 | Berkeley | 11.8 | 13 | McCormick | 20.4 | 13 | McCormick | 27.3 |
| 14 | Kershaw | 12.2 | 14 | Greenville | 20.8 | 14 | Charleston | 28.6 |
| 15 | Charleston | 12.4 | 15 | Spartanburg | 21.1 | 15 | Greenwood | 29.8 |
| 15 | Greenville | 12.4 | 16 | Charleston | 21.2 | 16 | Beaufort | 30.2 |
| 17 | Spartanburg | 12.5 | 17 | Aiken | 21.7 | 17 | Richland | 30.8 |
| 18 | Edgefield | 12.8 | 17 | Berkeley | 22.7 | 18 | Cherokee | 31.2 |
| 19 | Richland | 13.0 | 19 | Lancaster | 22.9 | 19 | Laurens | 31.3 |
| 20 | Dillon | 13.3 | 20 | Beaufort | 23.2 | 20 | Abbeville | 31.7 |
| 21 | Lexington | 14.2 | 21 | Richland | 23.3 | 21 | Chesterfield | 32.7 |
| 22 | McCormick | 14.3 | 22 | Edgefield | 23.4 | 22 | Berkeley | 33.1 |
| 23 | Florence | 14.5 | 22 | Saluda | 23.4 | 23 | Union | 33.2 |
| 24 | Sumter | 15.0 | 24 | Sumter | 23.9 | 24 | Georgetown | 33.6 |
| 25 | Clarendon | 16.0 | 25 | Florence | 25.7 | 25 | Florence | 33.8 |
| 26 | Cherokee | 17.0 | 26 | Cherokee | 26.6 | 26 | Lancaster | 35.1 |
| 26 | Chester | 17.0 | 27 | Williamsburg | 26.9 | 27 | Newberry | 36.4 |
| 28 | Chesterfield | 17.1 | 28 | Newberry | 27.4 | 28 | Sumter | 36.8 |
| 29 | Beaufort | 17.2 | 29 | Clarendon | 27.7 | 29 | Orangeburg | 38.6 |
| 29 | Saluda | 17.2 | 30 | Chesterfield | 30.0 | 30 | Bamberg | 38.7 |
| 31 | Lancaster | 17.4 | 31 | Laurens | 30.4 | 30 | Saluda | 38.7 |
| 32 | Greenwood | 17.9 | 32 | Bamberg | 30.5 | 32 | Darlington | 39.0 |
| 32 | Laurens | 17.9 | 33 | Darlington | 30.6 | 32 | Hampton | 39.0 |
| 34 | Newberry | 18.2 | 34 | Dillon | 31.9 | 34 | Calhoun | 39.5 |
| 35 | Bamberg | 18.3 | 35 | Orangeburg | 32.8 | 35 | Williamsburg | 41.0 |
| 36 | Colleton | 19.9 | 36 | Fairfield | 33.7 | 36 | Dillon | 41.1 |
| 37 | Darlington | 20.1 | 37 | Hampton | 34.3 | 37 | Clarendon | 41.8 |
| 38 | Orangeburg | 20.8 | 38 | Chester | 35.2 | 38 | Barnwell | 42.0 |
| 39 | Marlboro | 22.2 | 39 | Union | 36.4 | 39 | Allendale | 43.3 |
| 40 | Fairfield | 23.0 | 40 | Colleton | 38.3 | 39 | Marlboro | 43.3 |
| 41 | Jasper | 25.7 | 41 | Marlboro | 39.2 | 41 | Chester | 44.4 |
| 42 | Barnwell | 25.9 | 42 | Barnwell | 40.9 | 42 | Colleton | 46.6 |
| 43 | Marion | 26.8 | 43 | Marion | 43.7 | 43 | Lee | 49.1 |
| 44 | Hampton | 30.4 | 44 | Allendale | 48.3 | 44 | Marion | 49.4 |
| 45 | Allendale | 30.8 | 45 | Jasper | 49.0 | 45 | Jasper | 52.8 |
| 46 | Lee | 37.7 | 46 | Lee | 51.7 | 46 | Fairfield | 54.3 |
| South Carolina | 13.3 | South Carolina | 22.4 | South Carolina | 29.0 |
* 1 is best, 46 is worst.