Named after Rev. Anthony Toomer Porter and William Steen Gaud, Porter-Gaud is one of Charleston’s premiere private college preparatory schools. Serving students in 1st through 12th grade, the independent, co-ed Episcopal school as we know it today has been a Charleston institution since 1964, but its history runs much deeper than that. Porter-Gaud was formed by the joining of three prestigious schools: Porter Military Academy (founded in 1867), Gaud School for Boys (1908) and Watt School (1931). Porter Military Academy was originally housed in downtown Charleston, and Porter-Gaud students attended classes at this campus until a new home for the school opened on Albemarle Point along the Ashley River in 1965.
Today, the Porter-Gaud campus comprises 80 sylvan acres and is adjacent to the Crescent, one of Charleston’s nicest neighborhoods. Both the Crescent and Porter-Gaud are just five minutes from historic downtown Charleston and just fifteen minutes from Folly Beach. The pristine yet convenient setting of Porter-Gaud and the Crescent makes for a one-of-a-kind, family-oriented residential experience that goes hand in hand with education.
Students who attend Porter-Gaud receive a world-class education and share in a strong sense of community with their fellow classmates. Porter-Gaud students continually gain recognition for their academic achievements on a national level, and the school takes huge strides in preparing its students for the college experience. With sprawling old-growth oak trees and ivy-covered redbrick buildings, the grounds of Porter-Gaud resemble a college campus, and students are set up with an academic advisor in middle school. Students begin studying a foreign language in 1st grade, and extracurricular opportunities are diverse. A focus on small class size throughout the grade levels means each student receives individualized instruction. By the 9th grade, students commence college admission orientation, and by 11th grade, students are visiting colleges and polishing their academic resumes.
