South Carolina's public school system has become a national leader in Montessori education, apparently because it embraced such schools early on. The Palmetto State has more public Montessori programs than any state except California, according to a new report from the Riley Institute at Furman University.

As of 2016, South Carolina had 7,402 students participating in Montessori programs at 45 public schools in 24 districts. Most Montessori schools across the country are private, but a majority of South Carolina's are public. And most of the students in South Carolina public Montessori schools come from low-income homes, according to the report. Forty-five percent are racial minorities.