US CollegesColleges in South Carolina: cost, admission and results
48 degree-granting colleges and universities in South Carolina, with the admission rate, net price, graduation rate and earnings of each. The largest are University of South Carolina-Columbia (29,820 undergraduates), Clemson University (23,300 undergraduates), College of Charleston (10,558 undergraduates).
South Carolina at a glance
- Colleges on this site
- 48
- Public / private nonprofit / for-profit
- 21 / 23 / 4
- Median in-state tuition and fees
- $14,680
- Median net price a year
- $18,564
- Median admission rate
- 73%
- Median graduation rate
- 44%
- Median earnings 10 years on
- $46,266
No college in this list matches.
| College | Admission rate | Net price a year | Graduation rate | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken Technical CollegeGraniteville, SC · Public | not reported | $5,543 | 27% | $41,119 |
| Allen UniversityColumbia, SC · Private nonprofit | 73% | $13,432 | 25% | $32,754 |
| American College of the Building ArtsCharleston, SC · Private nonprofit | 44% | $34,661 | 72% | not reported |
| Anderson UniversityAnderson, SC · Private nonprofit | 55% | $24,068 | 72% | $51,191 |
| Benedict CollegeColumbia, SC · Private nonprofit | 96% | $17,734 | 43% | $36,562 |
| Bob Jones UniversityGreenville, SC · Private nonprofit | not reported | $14,632 | 71% | $49,158 |
| Charleston School of LawCharleston, SC · Private for-profit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Charleston Southern UniversityCharleston, SC · Private nonprofit | 96% | $20,661 | 50% | $52,265 |
| Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, SC · Public | 23% | $22,019 | 79% | $82,609 |
| Claflin UniversityOrangeburg, SC · Private nonprofit | 65% | $16,532 | 47% | $44,351 |
| Clemson UniversityClemson, SC · Public | 38% | $22,032 | 88% | $79,064 |
| Clinton CollegeRock Hill, SC · Private nonprofit | not reported | $24,037 | 68% | $32,353 |
| Coastal Carolina UniversityConway, SC · Public | 75% | $15,287 | 54% | $54,702 |
| Coker UniversityHartsville, SC · Private nonprofit | 94% | $24,908 | 36% | $45,746 |
| College of CharlestonCharleston, SC · Public | 60% | $18,177 | 65% | $63,018 |
| Columbia CollegeColumbia, SC · Private nonprofit | 94% | $21,611 | 41% | $46,266 |
| Columbia International UniversityColumbia, SC · Private nonprofit | 94% | $18,951 | 50% | $44,657 |
| Converse UniversitySpartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit | 68% | $23,526 | 44% | $45,726 |
| Erskine CollegeDue West, SC · Private nonprofit | 63% | $19,826 | 34% | $53,830 |
| Francis Marion UniversityFlorence, SC · Public | 86% | $10,890 | 38% | $47,527 |
| Furman UniversityGreenville, SC · Private nonprofit | 43% | $31,764 | 74% | $70,201 |
| Galen Health Institutes-Myrtle BeachMyrtle Beach, SC · Private for-profit | not reported | $27,421 | 47% | $69,188 |
| Lander UniversityGreenwood, SC · Public | 81% | $16,659 | 50% | $45,360 |
| Medical University of South CarolinaCharleston, SC · Public | not reported | not reported | not reported | $96,122 |
| Midlands Technical CollegeWest Columbia, SC · Public | not reported | $5,745 | 14% | $41,737 |
| Morris CollegeSumter, SC · Private nonprofit | not reported | $22,920 | 22% | $37,276 |
| Newberry CollegeNewberry, SC · Private nonprofit | 90% | $22,104 | 42% | $51,404 |
| North Greenville UniversityTigerville, SC · Private nonprofit | 67% | $22,235 | 54% | $47,090 |
| Presbyterian CollegeClinton, SC · Private nonprofit | 68% | $20,154 | 52% | $61,828 |
| Sherman College of ChiropracticBoiling Springs, SC · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| South Carolina State UniversityOrangeburg, SC · Public | 83% | $18,030 | 32% | $41,531 |
| South University-ColumbiaColumbia, SC · Private for-profit | not reported | $25,119 | 6% | $39,314 |
| Southern Wesleyan UniversityCentral, SC · Private nonprofit | 100% | $16,041 | 52% | $48,710 |
| Spartanburg Methodist CollegeSpartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit | 78% | $9,138 | 44% | $45,693 |
| Strayer University-South CarolinaGreenville, SC · Private for-profit | not reported | $22,593 | 33% | $44,016 |
| Technical College of the LowcountryBeaufort, SC · Public | not reported | $16,785 | 24% | $39,721 |
| Trident Technical CollegeCharleston, SC · Public | not reported | not reported | 32% | $42,433 |
| University of South Carolina AikenAiken, SC · Public | 79% | $14,565 | 44% | $51,703 |
| University of South Carolina BeaufortBluffton, SC · Public | 72% | $20,646 | 39% | $51,424 |
| University of South Carolina-ColumbiaColumbia, SC · Public | 60% | $22,197 | 79% | $69,024 |
| University of South Carolina-LancasterLancaster, SC · Public | 83% | $10,750 | 26% | $43,525 |
| University of South Carolina-SalkehatchieAllendale, SC · Public | 76% | $10,749 | 30% | $36,377 |
| University of South Carolina-SumterSumter, SC · Public | 74% | $11,119 | 39% | $44,967 |
| University of South Carolina-UnionUnion, SC · Public | 62% | $10,545 | 58% | $42,930 |
| University of South Carolina-UpstateSpartanburg, SC · Public | 67% | $15,680 | 43% | $53,988 |
| Voorhees UniversityDenmark, SC · Private nonprofit | not reported | $16,674 | 25% | $36,292 |
| Winthrop UniversityRock Hill, SC · Public | 79% | $16,375 | 52% | $49,727 |
| Wofford CollegeSpartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit | 52% | $23,144 | 80% | $76,744 |
"Not reported" means the Department of Education has no figure, often because the college is small, new, or does not take first-time students. Medians are the middle value of the colleges listed here.
The colleges of South Carolina in brief
Of the 48 colleges listed for South Carolina, 21 are public, 23 are private nonprofit and 4 are private for-profit. By level, 36 mainly award bachelor's degrees, 10 mainly award two-year associate degrees and 2 mainly award graduate degrees. Together they teach about 153,312 undergraduates, 80% of them at public colleges. The three largest, University of South Carolina-Columbia, Clemson University and College of Charleston, hold 42% of the total, and the middle-sized college has 1,692 undergraduates. The towns with the most colleges are Charleston (7), Columbia (6) and Spartanburg (4).
What college costs in South Carolina
At the public colleges, the median published tuition and fees are $10,910 a year for students from South Carolina and $21,422 for students from elsewhere. At the private nonprofit colleges the median is $27,360. Published prices are not what most families pay. Counting colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the lowest average net price after grants is at Aiken Technical College ($5,543) and Midlands Technical College ($5,745) and the highest at Furman University ($31,764) and Galen Health Institutes-Myrtle Beach ($27,421). The median net price across the state, $18,564, is 7% above the national median of $17,357.
Getting in
34 of the 48 colleges report an admission rate. The hardest to get into are Citadel Military College of South Carolina (23% admitted), Clemson University (38% admitted) and Furman University (43% admitted). 19 of them admit at least seven applicants in ten. 11 colleges have an open admission policy and report no rate: they do not turn applicants away on grades or test scores.
Finishing and earning
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the highest share of students finishing their course is at Clemson University (88%), Wofford College (80%) and Citadel Military College of South Carolina (79%). The median graduation rate of the state's colleges is 44%, against 49% for the country. Ten years after starting, former students with federal aid earn the most at Medical University of South Carolina ($96,122), Citadel Military College of South Carolina ($82,609) and Clemson University ($79,064). The state median for that measure is $46,266, 13% below the national $53,132. Students who finish leave with a median federal loan debt of $21,937 (national median $19,994). Earnings follow the subjects a college teaches as much as its quality, so compare like with like.
Questions about colleges in South Carolina
How many colleges are there in South Carolina?
This site lists 48 open, degree-granting colleges and universities in South Carolina, out of 3,161 on the whole site. Schools that mainly give short certificates are not counted.
What is the largest college in South Carolina?
University of South Carolina-Columbia in Columbia, with about 29,820 undergraduate students.
Which college in South Carolina has the lowest net price?
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, Aiken Technical College: students with federal aid paid an average of $5,543 a year after grants. Students from other states or countries usually pay more.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.