College Trends

Community colleges in South Carolina

The College Scorecard lists 8 public colleges that mostly award associate degrees in South Carolina, all compared on this page. Together they enroll 23,605 undergraduate degree-seeking students. The median average net price is $10,749 a year, higher than the $7,415 median for community colleges nationwide. Former students' median earnings 10 years after starting college are $42,085 at the median institution, lower than the $44,632 median for community colleges nationwide. The median graduation rate is 28.6%.

Open in the dashboardSource: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Schools
8
UndergraduatesiUndergraduate degree-seeking enrollment.
23,605
Median net priceiAverage yearly cost for full-time, first-time undergraduates who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. The figure here is the median across schools.
$10,749
U.S.: $7,415
Median earnings, 10 yrsiMedian earnings of former students who received federal aid, 10 years after they started college, among those working and not enrolled. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$42,085
U.S.: $44,632
Median debtiMedian federal student-loan balance of graduates. Excludes Parent PLUS and private loans. The figure here is the median across institutions (branch campuses count once).
$10,654
U.S.: $10,500
Median grad rateiShare of full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time (6 years for a 4-year degree, 3 years for a 2-year degree). The figure here is the median across schools.
28.6%
U.S.: 34.4%

Compare all community colleges in South Carolina on one chart

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Each dot is one school. Dashed lines mark the median for South Carolina. Showing 7 of 8 community colleges in South Carolina; schools missing either value are left out.

All 8 community colleges in South Carolina

Trident Technical College
Charleston
10,512n/a$4,836$9,108$42,433$10,80832.5%59.2%
Midlands Technical College
West Columbia
7,564$5,745$5,196$14,988$41,737$10,81214.3%48.7%
Aiken Technical College
Graniteville
1,925$5,543$5,300$8,088$41,119$15,65027.4%53.2%
Technical College of the Lowcountry
Beaufort
1,679$16,785$6,300$12,204$39,721$10,50024.2%58.2%
University of South Carolina-Sumter
Sumter
716$11,119$7,558$18,238$44,967$8,60939.3%59.3%
University of South Carolina-Lancaster
Lancaster
668$10,750$7,558$18,238$43,525$9,27726.1%43.3%
University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie
Allendale
271$10,749$7,558$18,238$36,377$10,25029.7%43.2%
University of South Carolina-Union
Union
270$10,545$7,558$18,238$42,930$11,00057.9%64.2%
Showing 8 of 8. Starts sorted by undergraduate enrollment; select a column to sort.

Quick facts: community colleges in South Carolina

How many community colleges are in South Carolina?
The College Scorecard lists 8 public colleges that mostly award associate degrees in South Carolina.
What do community colleges in South Carolina cost?
Across the 7 schools that report it, the median average net price is $10,749 a year. Net price is what full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid pay after grants and scholarships. Reported net prices range from $5,543 at Aiken Technical College to $16,785 at Technical College of the Lowcountry.
Which community colleges in South Carolina have the lowest average net price?
By reported average net price: Aiken Technical College ($5,543), Midlands Technical College ($5,745), University of South Carolina-Union ($10,545), University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie ($10,749), and University of South Carolina-Lancaster ($10,750).
How much is in-state and out-of-state tuition at community colleges in South Carolina?
The median published in-state tuition is $6,929 a year, and the median out-of-state tuition is $16,613. Many students pay less than published tuition after aid.
How much do former students of community colleges in South Carolina earn?
At the median institution, former students who received federal aid earn $42,085 10 years after starting college (8 institutions reporting; branch campuses share one figure and count once). The highest reported medians are at University of South Carolina-Sumter ($44,967), University of South Carolina-Lancaster ($43,525), and University of South Carolina-Union ($42,930).
What is the graduation rate at community colleges in South Carolina?
The median graduation rate is 28.6%, across 8 schools reporting. It counts full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time.
How much student debt do graduates of community colleges in South Carolina have?
The median institution's graduates leave with $10,654 in federal student loans (the median balance). Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.

Keep comparing

Other college types in South Carolina

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How these numbers work

This page includes public colleges that mostly award associate degrees, as reported in the College Scorecard. Summary figures are medians across schools: each school counts once, whatever its size, and schools that don't report a measure are left out of that measure. The Scorecard reports earnings and debt for a whole institution, so branch campuses share one figure; for those two measures each institution counts once. Most recent data year: cost 2025, graduation and retention 2025, earnings 2022, debt 2024. More on the data.