Pickens County has five middle schools and five high schools. Each of these middle and high schools comes from one of the five zoning districts in the county: Dacusville, Daniel, Easley, Liberty, and Pickens. The county has 15 public elementary schools located throughout the county. Students must attend the public school located in their zoning area, but the district administrators occasionally make exceptions in rare circumstances if the superintendent approves the decision.
Aside from the standard schools in the Pickens County School District, three public schools offer alternative programs for students, parents and families. The Adult Learning Center and Parenting & Family Literacy Program provide extra help for families who may not have the proper education to help their students progress in school. These schools allow parents to work with their kids and learn as a family. The Simpson Alternative Education Center, the third of these alternative schools, provides extra disciplinary measures for students who do not behave in a normal classroom setting.
1868 marked the first year a tax was placed on residents in Pickens County to help fund education. At the time, the county was divided into eight townships, each of which had its own trustee and overseer. At the time, teacher's salaries were around $10 per month. In 1893, the county was split into more than 50 school districts, with a schoolhouse located in the center of each district. Pickens County had small districts until 1951, divided into the five sections it still has today.
In addition to the numerous in-school opportunities Pickens County School District offers, numerous extra-curricular opportunities abound in the area. The Pickens County Museum of Art and History, the South Carolina Botanical Garden and Brooks Center for Performing Arts are all located in the county, and are the destinations for numerous field trips for students. Located in the same area, Clemson University and Tri-County Technical College are the two major public institutions for higher education in Pickens County.