Pickens County has 15 elementary schools serving children pre-kindergarten to grade five. The schools differ in size, with some schools having a larger enrollment than others. For example ,Crosswell Elementary in Easley has 470 students, whereas A. E. Lewis in Pickens has 260. Another way in which the schools differ, which parents may consider important, is in terms of their student/teacher ratios; McKissick in Easley, for example, has a ratio of 11-to-1 whereas Six Mile Elementary has a ratio of 15-to-1.
Within Pickens County there are five middle schools serving grades six through eight. Edwards Middle School is a typical example, with an enrolment of 787 students and a student/teacher ratio of 15-to-1 as of 2009. The middle schools offer a variety of sports and extracurricular activities, believing them all to be of great benefit to the students. For example, Pickens Middle School offers football, volleyball and basketball, while Dacusville has a band and chorus, and Gettys even has a Robotics Club.
There are five high schools available in Pickens County for grades nine through 12. Schools such as Liberty High School emphasise the need to prepare students for future academic life and careers, as well as to encourage them to become productive citizens. In 2006, the County Board of Trustees approved a $315 million building plan that will aim to construct four new high schools to replace or expand the existing sites of Daniel, Easley, Liberty and Pickens High School, as well as the creation of a state-of-the-art technology center. The building work is due to be completed in 2012.
Pickens County also has three centers for students with special educational needs or adult learners. The Simpson Alternative Center for Education caters for students from sixth grade through ninth grade who have been unsuccessful in the typical school environment. The center uses innovative teaching methods and up-to-date technology in order to give individual students the support they require. Pickens County also runs a Parent and Family Literacy Program and an Adult Learning Center where adults can improve their literacy or attain qualifications.