Why This Matters
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SOUTH CAROLINA HAS 28 TWO-YEAR COLLEGES WITH ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS
According to recent data from College Navigator, there are 28 community colleges with two-year programs in South Carolina.
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THE AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION FOR SOUTH CAROLINA STUDENTS IS $5,940
During the 2022-23 academic year, South Carolina students paid an average of $5,940 for in-district community college tuition.
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80.6% OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS RECEIVE FINANCIAL AID
The National Center for Education Statistics estimates that 370,718 students attending two-year institutions during the 2020-21 school year received some type of financial aid.
Our Research
This list features some of the best community colleges in South Carolina. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included small, midsize, and large colleges as well as trade, technical, and vocational programs. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others 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), a reputable organization that examines objectives, quality and overall effectiveness of education programs in the southern United States.
We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for students. Then we calculated 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 Community Colleges in South Carolina
Discover More Options
What You Should Know About Graduating From Community College in South Carolina
When researching community college degree programs in South Carolina, you can narrow your options down by focusing on high-paying careers. Nuclear technicians and air traffic controllers lead the pack when it comes to salary potential, with radiation therapists close behind. Nuclear medicine technologists and diagnostic medical sonographers are also high-paying careers in South Carolina.
Another factor to consider when researching two-year programs is the projected number of job openings. In South Carolina, jobs for paralegals, preschool teachers, and dental hygienists are expected to have many openings between 2021 and 2031.
It’s also good to know which careers are projected to have declining employment. For example, embalmers and human resources assistants are two careers with a rapid projected decline rate.
What’s Next?
Financial aid information is important when researching South Carolina community colleges. Use these state and federal websites to find out more about the financial aid that’s available and how to apply for it.
- South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. Access the Palmetto Calculator through the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education’s website. This tool estimates your tuition cost and has information about state scholarships and loans.
- Federal Student Aid. The U.S. Department of Education provides $120 billion in student financial aid every year through scholarships, grants, and loans. Fill out your online FAFSA to get started or use the FAFSA4caster to determine your eligibility.
- CareerOneStop. This comprehensive resource from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has information on thousands of scholarships, fellowships, and grants for students. The data can be filtered by your state, degree level, and other criteria. Dollar amounts, application requirements and deadlines, and contact information can all be found here.