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Best Master's Degree Schools in South Carolina

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2023 Best Master's Degree Schools in South Carolina

22 Schools Ranked

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Also there are many trade schools and bpptcamp that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Master's Degree Schools in South Carolina ranking. This report analyzed 22 schools in South Carolina to see which ones offered the best master's degree programs for students. Factors related to overall quality of the school, post-graduation earnings, average student debt, and more accumulated were considered when coming up with this list.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Master's Degree Schools in South Carolina

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina
$11,796 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Clemson University to be the best school for students who want to pursue a master’s degree in South Carolina.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Clemson. In fact, around 69% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Clemson University

#2

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina
$10,890 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent master’s degree programs at Citadel Military College of South Carolina helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in South Carolina.

One thing to take note of is that The Citadel does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 76% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#3

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
$14,134 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Master’s Degree Schools in South Carolina list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UofSC. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 74% took at least some of their classes online.

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#4

Columbia International University

Columbia, South Carolina
$11,810 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia International University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Master’s Degree Schools in South Carolina list.

CIU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 93% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

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#5

Erskine College

Due West, South Carolina
$13,700 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Erskine College is a great place for students working on their master’s degree.

Erskine does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 61% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#6

Anderson University South Carolina

Anderson, South Carolina
$11,643 Average Tuition & Fees

Anderson University South Carolina ranked #6 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in South Carolina list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Anderson University South Carolina. In 2019-2020 about 73% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Anderson University South Carolina

#7

University of South Carolina - Upstate

Spartanburg, South Carolina
$14,109 Average Tuition & Fees

University of South Carolina - Upstate landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree programs.

One thing to take note of is that USC Upstate does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 90% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on University of South Carolina - Upstate

#8

College of Charleston

Charleston, South Carolina
$14,230 Average Tuition & Fees

College of Charleston ranked #8 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in South Carolina list.

Online graduate courses are available at C of C, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 80% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full College of Charleston Report

#9

University of South Carolina - Aiken

Aiken, South Carolina
$14,096 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #9, University of South Carolina - Aiken did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their master’s degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UofSC Aiken. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on University of South Carolina - Aiken

#10

Winthrop University

Rock Hill, South Carolina
$16,012 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #10, Winthrop University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their master’s degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Winthrop. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 87% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Winthrop University Report

#11

Southern Wesleyan University

Central, South Carolina
$13,726 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #11, Southern Wesleyan University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their master’s degree.

If you are interested in distance education, SWU is an excellent choice, since graduate classes are offered online.

Full Southern Wesleyan University Report

#12

Francis Marion University

Florence, South Carolina
$11,388 Average Tuition & Fees

Francis Marion University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Schools in South Carolina ranking.

Francis Marion University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 77% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#13

North Greenville University

Tigerville, South Carolina
$12,220 Average Tuition & Fees

North Greenville University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in South Carolina list.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at North Greenville. In fact, around 60% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on North Greenville University

#14

Charleston Southern University

Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston Southern University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list.

CSU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 69% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Charleston Southern University Report

#15

Bob Jones University

Greenville, South Carolina
$10,403 Average Tuition & Fees

Bob Jones University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #15 on the list.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Bob Jones University. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 37% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Bob Jones University

#16

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, South Carolina
$10,764 Average Tuition & Fees

Coastal Carolina University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in South Carolina list.

One thing to take note of is that Coastal Carolina University does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 57% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Coastal Carolina University Report

#17

South University, Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
$16,320 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #17, South University, Columbia did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their master’s degree.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at South University, Columbia. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 34% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on South University, Columbia

#18

Coker University

Hartsville, South Carolina
$18,876 Average Tuition & Fees

Coker University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #18 on the list.

Since the graduate programs at Coker are primarily online school, so it is a great choice for returning adults and students who work full time.

Read full report on Coker University

#19

Converse College

Spartanburg, South Carolina
$7,698 Average Tuition & Fees

Converse College landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree programs.

Converse does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 61% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#20

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, South Carolina
$11,460 Average Tuition & Fees

South Carolina State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list.

South Carolina State University does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 44% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on South Carolina State University

#21

Claflin University

Orangeburg, South Carolina
$12,035 Average Tuition & Fees

Claflin University landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree programs.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Claflin. In 2019-2020 about 71% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Claflin University

#22

Columbia College

Columbia, South Carolina
$9,268 Average Tuition & Fees

Columbia College landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree programs.

Columbia College South Carolina does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 87% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

View Best Master’s Degree Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 22 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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