Top 2020 Colleges in South Carolina

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South Carolina's 101 Colleges and Universities

The top colleges in South Carolina are near major cities of Charleston and Columbia. South Carolina has two large state universities and small liberal arts colleges. Let’s look at some NCES stats about the Palmetto state:

• South Carolina is home to 48 four year college. 29% of them are public state universities.
• There are 53 two year or less colleges. 37% of which are public community colleges.
• Over the past 5 years, South Carolina has seen a small 5.1% drop in students. In 2017, 246,388 students were enrolled in college.
• In total, 45,108 degrees were awarded for the 2016 - 2017 school year. Thus, about 57% of those awards were bachelor's degrees.

Salary Breakdown

According to the College Scorecard alums from Clemson Univeristy earn the highest average salary. 10 years after graduating, the average salary is about $72,400. Meanwhile, the 2017 mean annual wage in South Carolina is $43,210. You do the math!

South Carolina's Tuition Programs

South Carolina is a member of the SREB's Academic Common Market. Students pay in-state tuition at participating out-of-state colleges. This plan helps students pursue a desired degree outside of South Carolina. For example, if you went to a member school in Georgia you would pay Georgia's in-state tuition. Other participating states are North Carolina and Georgia.

Also, SC residents can receive reduced tuition at an eligible two year college. The program is called the Lottery Tuition Assistance Program. The award is up to $1,140 per term. According to College Board, the program granted over 45,000 students. Also, the total award amount since 2001 is about $45 million.

Top Colleges in South Carolina

Top South Carolina colleges ranked by total number of students.

List of Colleges

Thousands of students have rated these South Carolina colleges. Discover what they have to say. Find out about campus life, academics and more!

Source for school statistics and data is the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.