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South Carolina Colleges

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South Carolina Colleges

65 Colleges
$60,622 Avg 4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$26,539 Avg 4-Year Student Loan

In terms of yearly graduations, South Carolina is ranked #26 in the country with 48,913 degrees handed out in 2021. South Carolina colleges offer students average in-student tuition of $15,156 per year, while students attending fron out-of-state may pay something more like $20,020 per year.

About 50% of students who go to college in this state take out loans, with the average yearly loan amount being $6,635 per year.

Learn more about the most popular schools below:

#1

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$12,688 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
49% Freshmen Loans

There are 27,271 undergraduates at UofSC, of which 26,174 are full-time, and there are 35,470 students altogether. UofSC has a freshman retention rate of 87%, which is a good sign that once students arrive at the school, they want to stay.

The school doesn’t accept everyone who applies - it has an acceptance rate of 62%. Around 38% of accepted students are men, and 62% are women.

Roughly 49% of students at UofSC take out loans to pay for college. The average amount of student loans is $8,804 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 1.6% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $48,846 during the early-career years.

#2

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$15,558 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
43% Freshmen Loans

There are 26,406 students at Clemson in total, 20,868 of which are undergraduates, and of those, 20,021 are full-time. The average graduation time for an undergraduate student at Clemson is 4.3 years.

The school doesn’t accept everyone who applies - it has an acceptance rate of 49%. Around 37% of accepted students are men, and 63% are women.

Roughly 43% of students at Clemson take out loans to pay for college. The typical student loan amount is $9,843 a year. The student loan default rate of 0.6% means most graduates are not struggling to pay off their loans.

Students who graduate from Clemson with a bachelor’s degree make an average of $56,107 during the early years of their career after graduation.

#3

College of Charleston

Charleston, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$12,978 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
43% Freshmen Loans

There are 10,384 students at C of C in total, 9,300 of which are undergraduates, and of those, 8,466 are full-time. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 16 to 1.

The school doesn’t accept everyone who applies - it has an acceptance rate of 76%. Around 29% of accepted students are men, and 71% are women.

Approximately 43% of the students who attend this school take out loans. The typical student loan amount is $9,454 a year. C of C has a 1.5% student default rate. This is excellent when you compare it to the national rate of 10.8%.

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $41,508 during the early-career years.

#4

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$11,640 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
63% Freshmen Loans

There are 9,500 undergraduates at Coastal Carolina University, of which 8,529 are full-time, and there are 10,118 students altogether. The average graduation time for an undergraduate student at Coastal Carolina University is 4.4 years.

About 79% of students who apply get accepted. Of the accepted students, 40% are men and 60% are women.

Roughly 63% of students at Coastal Carolina University take out loans to pay for college. The average amount of student loans is $10,683 a year. The student loan default rate of 3.1% means most graduates are not struggling to pay off their loans.

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $37,351 during the early-career years.

#5

Winthrop University

Rock Hill, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$15,866 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
69% Freshmen Loans

The total student population at Winthrop University is 5,576, of which 4,406 students are undergraduates and of those, 3,992 are full-time. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.

The school doesn’t accept everyone who applies - it has an acceptance rate of 64%. Of the accepted students, 30% are men and 70% are women.

Approximately 69% of the students who attend this school take out loans. The typical student loan amount is $7,563 a year. Winthrop has a 2.1% student default rate. This is excellent when you compare it to the national rate of 10.8%.

The early-career average earnings of bachelor’s-degree holders from Winthrop is $37,039.

#6

Trident Technical College

Charleston, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$5,059 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
19% Freshmen Loans

There are 4,225 full-time undergraduates at Trident Technical College, and 11,650 students altogether. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 19 to 1.

19% of Trident Technical College students take out loans to afford college costs. The average amount of student loans is $3,294 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 4.9% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

The early-career average earnings of bachelor’s-degree holders from Trident Technical College is $30,514.

#7

Greenville Technical College

Greenville, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$5,882 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
13% Freshmen Loans

There are 4,387 full-time undergraduates at GTC, and 10,536 students altogether. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 14 to 1.

Approximately 13% of the students who attend this school take out loans. The average amount of student loans is $4,741 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 5.4% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

The early-career average earnings of bachelor’s-degree holders from GTC is $32,376.

#8

University of South Carolina - Upstate

Spartanburg, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$11,583 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
63% Freshmen Loans

There are 6,038 students at USC Upstate in total, 5,519 of which are undergraduates, and of those, 4,374 are full-time. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.

The school doesn’t accept everyone who applies - it has an acceptance rate of 76%. Around 29% of accepted students are men, and 71% are women.

63% of USC Upstate students take out loans to afford college costs. The typical student loan amount is $5,962 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 3.1% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

The early-career average earnings of bachelor’s-degree holders from USC Upstate is $40,004.

#9

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$12,570 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
52% Freshmen Loans

There are 2,858 undergraduates at The Citadel, of which 2,654 are full-time, and there are 3,740 students altogether. The freshman retention rate at The Citadel is 86%, which is great when compared to the national average of 68%.

Around 86% of students who apply get accepted. Around 81% of accepted students are men, and 19% are women.

Roughly 52% of students at The Citadel take out loans to pay for college. The average amount of student loans is $13,570 a year. The Citadel has a 1.3% student default rate. This is excellent when you compare it to the national rate of 10.8%.

Students who graduate from The Citadel with a bachelor’s degree make an average of $56,479 during the early years of their career after graduation.

#10

Midlands Technical College

West Columbia, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$5,916 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
18% Freshmen Loans

The total student population at Midlands Technical College is 8,794, which includes 3,770 full-time undergraduates. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1.

Approximately 18% of the students who attend this school take out loans. The average amount of student loans is $4,823 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 2.8% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $31,177 during the early-career years.

#11

Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$16,947 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State

There are 318 undergraduates at MUSC, of which 315 are full-time, and there are 3,083 students altogether. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1.

MUSC has a 0.1% student default rate. This is excellent when you compare it to the national rate of 10.8%.

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $77,155 during the early-career years.

#12

Horry-Georgetown Technical College

Conway, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$5,356 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
33% Freshmen Loans

There are 3,056 full-time undergraduates at Horry-Georgetown Technical College, and 6,409 students altogether. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 20 to 1.

33% of Horry-Georgetown Technical College students take out loans to afford college costs. The typical student loan amount is $5,217 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 6.8% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

Students who graduate from Horry-Georgetown Technical College with a bachelor’s degree make an average of $29,194 during the early years of their career after graduation.

#13

Anderson University South Carolina

Anderson, South Carolina
Private not-for-profit Public vs. Private
$31,720 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
57% Freshmen Loans

The total student population at Anderson University South Carolina is 3,848, of which 3,083 students are undergraduates and of those, 2,673 are full-time. It takes the average Anderson University South Carolina undergraduate about 4.1 years to complete their degree.

About 50% of students who apply get accepted. Of the accepted students, 28% are men and 72% are women.

Roughly 57% of students at Anderson University South Carolina take out loans to pay for college. The typical student loan amount is $7,985 a year. Anderson University South Carolina has a 1.7% student default rate. This is excellent when you compare it to the national rate of 10.8%.

Students who graduate from Anderson University South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree make an average of $38,547 during the early years of their career after graduation.

#14

Tri-County Technical College

Pendleton, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$5,936 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
22% Freshmen Loans

There are 5,582 students at TCTC in total, 3,120 are full-time undergraduates. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 19 to 1.

22% of TCTC students take out loans to afford college costs. The typical student loan amount is $6,843 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 1.8% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $33,921 during the early-career years.

#15

Furman University

Greenville, South Carolina
Private not-for-profit Public vs. Private
$55,772 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
29% Freshmen Loans

There are 2,567 students at Furman in total, 2,345 of which are undergraduates, and of those, 2,294 are full-time. Students tend to stick around at Furman. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

The school doesn’t accept everyone who applies - it has an acceptance rate of 71%. Around 39% of accepted students are men, and 61% are women.

Roughly 29% of students at Furman take out loans to pay for college. The typical student loan amount is $8,612 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 0.5% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

Students who graduate from Furman with a bachelor’s degree make an average of $47,832 during the early years of their career after graduation.

#16

Francis Marion University

Florence, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$11,160 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
60% Freshmen Loans

The total student population at Francis Marion University is 4,148, of which 3,632 students are undergraduates and of those, 2,852 are full-time. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 13 to 1.

Around 86% of students who apply get accepted. Around 30% of accepted students are men, and 70% are women.

Roughly 60% of students at Francis Marion University take out loans to pay for college. The average amount of student loans is $5,936 a year. The student loan default rate of 3.5% means most graduates are not struggling to pay off their loans.

Students who graduate from Francis Marion University with a bachelor’s degree make an average of $33,385 during the early years of their career after graduation.

#17

Charleston Southern University

Charleston, South Carolina
Private not-for-profit Public vs. Private
$29,790 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
59% Freshmen Loans

The total student population at Charleston Southern University is 3,350, of which 2,720 students are undergraduates and of those, 2,491 are full-time. For undergraduates at CSU, the average graduation time is 4.4 years.

The school doesn’t accept everyone who applies - it has an acceptance rate of 57%. Of the accepted students, 34% are men and 65% are women.

Approximately 59% of the students who attend this school take out loans. The average amount of student loans is $7,167 a year. The student loan default rate of 2.1% means most graduates are not struggling to pay off their loans.

The early-career average earnings of bachelor’s-degree holders from CSU is $38,119.

#18

University of South Carolina - Aiken

Aiken, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$10,760 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
52% Freshmen Loans

There are 3,284 undergraduates at UofSC Aiken, of which 2,600 are full-time, and there are 3,944 students altogether. It takes the average UofSC Aiken undergraduate about 4.6 years to complete their degree.

About 84% of students who apply get accepted. Around 32% of accepted students are men, and 68% are women.

52% of UofSC Aiken students take out loans to afford college costs. The typical student loan amount is $5,305 a year. The student loan default rate of 2.4% means most graduates are not struggling to pay off their loans.

The early-career average earnings of bachelor’s-degree holders from UofSC Aiken is $38,000.

#19

York Technical College

Rock Hill, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$5,882 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
16% Freshmen Loans

There are 2,036 full-time undergraduates at York Technical College, and 4,178 students altogether. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 18 to 1.

Roughly 16% of students at York Technical College take out loans to pay for college. The typical student loan amount is $3,763 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 2.4% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

The early-career average earnings of bachelor’s-degree holders from York Technical College is $30,976.

#20

Piedmont Technical College

Greenwood, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$5,315 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
23% Freshmen Loans

There are 4,712 students at Piedmont Technical College in total, 1,673 are full-time undergraduates. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 15 to 1.

Approximately 23% of the students who attend this school take out loans. The typical student loan amount is $5,704 a year. Piedmont Technical College has a 5.6% student default rate. This is excellent when you compare it to the national rate of 10.8%.

Students who graduate from Piedmont Technical College with a bachelor’s degree make an average of $29,247 during the early years of their career after graduation.

#21

Bob Jones University

Greenville, South Carolina
Private not-for-profit Public vs. Private
$21,332 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
25% Freshmen Loans

There are 2,639 undergraduates at Bob Jones University, of which 2,295 are full-time, and there are 3,029 students altogether. The average graduation time for an undergraduate student at Bob Jones University is 4.2 years.

Approximately 25% of the students who attend this school take out loans. The average amount of student loans is $7,545 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 0.4% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $35,102 during the early-career years.

#22

Spartanburg Community College

Spartanburg, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$6,030 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
7% Freshmen Loans

There are 1,850 full-time undergraduates at Spartanburg Community College, and 4,108 students altogether. The school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 20 to 1.

7% of Spartanburg Community College students take out loans to afford college costs. The average amount of student loans is $3,428 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 2.7% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $31,450 during the early-career years.

#23

Lander University

Greenwood, South Carolina
Public Public vs. Private
$11,700 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
68% Freshmen Loans

There are 3,391 undergraduates at Lander University, of which 3,159 are full-time, and there are 3,513 students altogether. It takes the average Lander University undergraduate about 4.5 years to complete their degree.

The school doesn’t accept everyone who applies - it has an acceptance rate of 69%. Around 26% of accepted students are men, and 74% are women.

Roughly 68% of students at Lander University take out loans to pay for college. The typical student loan amount is $6,739 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 2.8% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $34,764 during the early-career years.

#24

North Greenville University

Tigerville, South Carolina
Private not-for-profit Public vs. Private
$23,590 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
58% Freshmen Loans

The total student population at North Greenville University is 2,280, of which 1,993 students are undergraduates and of those, 1,658 are full-time. The average graduation time for an undergraduate student at North Greenville is 4.3 years.

The school doesn’t accept everyone who applies - it has an acceptance rate of 70%. Around 50% of accepted students are men, and 50% are women.

58% of North Greenville students take out loans to afford college costs. The typical student loan amount is $5,804 a year. North Greenville has a 2.3% student default rate. This is excellent when you compare it to the national rate of 10.8%.

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $35,632 during the early-career years.

#25

Wofford College

Spartanburg, South Carolina
Private not-for-profit Public vs. Private
$51,530 Yearly Tuition & Fees (In-State
45% Freshmen Loans

There are 1,753 full-time undergraduates at Wofford, and 1,764 students altogether. The average graduation time for an undergraduate student at Wofford is 4.0 years.

About 52% of students who apply get accepted. Around 44% of accepted students are men, and 56% are women.

Approximately 45% of the students who attend this school take out loans. The typical student loan amount is $8,514 a year. The school reports a student loan default rate of 1.1% which is much lower than the average rate of 10.8%!

A typical bachelor’s-degree holder from this school earns an average of $53,445 during the early-career years.

Other South Carolina Colleges

Rank School Yearly Graduations
26 Limestone College 473
27 Claflin University 472
28 Columbia College 463
29 Columbia International University 453
30 South Carolina State University 439
31 University of South Carolina - Beaufort 407
32 Southern Wesleyan University 394
33 Strayer University - South Carolina 393
34 Florence-Darlington Technical College 383
35 Converse College 374
36 Central Carolina Technical College 335
37 Newberry College 278
38 Spartanburg Methodist College 263
39 Coker University 250
40 Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College 249
41 Aiken Technical College 245
42 South University, Columbia 229
43 Presbyterian College 227
44 Technical College of the Lowcountry 190
45 Charleston School of Law 189
46 University of South Carolina - Sumter 159
47 Benedict College 154
48 Northeastern Technical College 142
49 Erskine College 136
50 University of South Carolina - Lancaster 135
51 University of South Carolina - Union 117
52 Sherman College of Chiropractic 105
53 University of South Carolina - Salkehatchie 91
54 Morris College 90
55 Voorhees College 75
56 Allen University 64
57 Miller-Motte College Conway 46
58 Miller-Motte College Charleston 44
59 Williamsburg Technical College 37
60 Clinton College 27
60 Fortis College - Columbia 27
62 Denmark Technical College 16
63 American College of the Building Arts 13
64 Southeastern College - Charleston 9
65 Southeastern College - Columbia 7

References

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