Why This Matters
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38 FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES IN SOUTH CAROLINA
According to College Navigator, the four-year colleges in South Carolina include 14 public and 24 private non-profit options.
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$13,120 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES
For the 2022-23 school year, the average in-state tuition for public four-year colleges in South Carolina is $13,120, according to College Board.
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$15,330 AVERAGE FINANCIAL AID
In the U.S., full-time undergraduate students attending college in 2021-22 received an average of $15,330 per year in financial aid.
Our Research
This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar colleges in South Carolina. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The colleges on our list are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — this organization examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of higher education programs in the southern United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission standards, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the resources and services provided for on-campus students. Then, we used this information to calculate the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Online College Programs That Might Interest You
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
The Top 50 Colleges in South Carolina
Discover More Options
What You Should Know About Graduating From College in South Carolina
If you plan to live in the same state where you obtained your degree, it’s important to consider your career potential in that particular area. As of May 2022, the five largest industries in South Carolina are office and administrative support occupations, sales, food preparation and serving, transportation and material moving, and production.
Also, the five fastest-growing careers for someone with a bachelor’s degree in South Carolina are agents and talent managers, information security analysts, logisticians, financial examiners, and medical and health services managers.
When looking for a job in South Carolina, you should become familiar with the largest employers in the state as well. These include Children’s Hospital, the U.S. Department of Energy, BMW, Boeing, and Berkeley Hall Club.
What’s Next?
When applying for a degree program, it helps to know what forms of aid are available to you. The following resources can help you find scholarships, grants, and loans for undergraduate students in South Carolina:
- South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. This agency provides students with detailed information on how to apply for state loans and other aid programs.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Provided by the U.S. Department of Education, FAFSA is the main form students use to apply for financial aid for college. To determine if you’re eligible for aid, submit a completed FAFSA form online.
- CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder. This tool will show you available scholarships, grants, and loans and can be filtered by state and degree type. It includes information such as dollar amounts, how to apply, qualifications, deadlines, and contact details.