College Trends

Public universities in South Carolina

The College Scorecard lists 13 public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher in South Carolina, all compared on this page. Together they enroll 98,597 undergraduate degree-seeking students. The median average net price is $17,345 a year, higher than the $14,226 median for public universities nationwide. Former students' median earnings 10 years after starting college are $53,988 at the median institution, lower than the $58,635 median for public universities nationwide. The median graduation rate is 50.9%.

Open in the dashboardSource: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Schools
13
UndergraduatesiUndergraduate degree-seeking enrollment.
98,597
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.
$17,345
U.S.: $14,226
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).
$53,988
U.S.: $58,635
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).
$21,847
U.S.: $19,500
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.
50.9%
U.S.: 51.6%

Compare all public universities in South Carolina on one chart

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Each dot is one school. Dashed lines mark the median for South Carolina. Showing 12 of 13 public universities in South Carolina; schools missing either value are left out.

All 13 public universities in South Carolina

University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia
29,820$22,197$12,688$37,376$69,024$20,50078.7%92.2%60.2%
Clemson University
Clemson
23,300$22,032$15,854$42,378$79,064$19,50087.5%93.5%38.3%
College of Charleston
Charleston
10,558$18,177$12,978$38,844$63,018$20,50065.3%82.0%60.0%
Coastal Carolina University
Conway
10,377$15,287$11,640$29,926$54,702$22,31254.2%77.4%75.3%
University of South Carolina-Upstate
Spartanburg
4,038$15,680$11,588$23,090$53,988$21,23443.2%69.8%67.3%
Winthrop University
Rock Hill
3,523$16,375$14,680$28,720$49,727$25,50051.6%73.6%79.3%
Lander University
Greenwood
3,397$16,659$11,700$21,300$45,360$21,84750.2%69.6%81.3%
University of South Carolina Aiken
Aiken
2,962$14,565$10,760$21,218$51,703$22,13243.6%66.8%78.5%
South Carolina State University
Orangeburg
2,934$18,030$11,060$21,750$41,531$26,96431.6%56.5%82.6%
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston
2,705$22,019$12,570$40,061$82,609$18,50079.0%85.8%22.7%
Francis Marion University
Florence
2,628$10,890$11,160$21,544$47,527$25,00037.9%70.0%86.4%
University of South Carolina Beaufort
Bluffton
2,052$20,646$10,730$21,776$51,424$21,93038.7%61.3%72.5%
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston
303n/an/an/a$96,122$14,650n/an/an/a
Showing 13 of 13. Starts sorted by undergraduate enrollment; select a column to sort.

Quick facts: public universities in South Carolina

How many public universities are in South Carolina?
The College Scorecard lists 13 public colleges that mostly award bachelor's degrees or higher in South Carolina.
What do public universities in South Carolina cost?
Across the 12 schools that report it, the median average net price is $17,345 a year. Net price is what full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid pay after grants and scholarships. Reported net prices range from $10,890 at Francis Marion University to $22,197 at University of South Carolina-Columbia.
Which public universities in South Carolina have the lowest average net price?
By reported average net price: Francis Marion University ($10,890), University of South Carolina Aiken ($14,565), Coastal Carolina University ($15,287), University of South Carolina-Upstate ($15,680), and Winthrop University ($16,375).
How much is in-state and out-of-state tuition at public universities in South Carolina?
The median published in-state tuition is $11,670 a year, and the median out-of-state tuition is $25,905. Many students pay less than published tuition after aid.
How much do former students of public universities in South Carolina earn?
At the median institution, former students who received federal aid earn $53,988 10 years after starting college (13 institutions reporting; branch campuses share one figure and count once). The highest reported medians are at Medical University of South Carolina ($96,122), Citadel Military College of South Carolina ($82,609), and Clemson University ($79,064).
What is the graduation rate at public universities in South Carolina?
The median graduation rate is 50.9%, across 12 schools reporting. It counts full-time, first-time students who finished within 150% of normal time.
How much student debt do graduates of public universities in South Carolina have?
The median institution's graduates leave with $21,847 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 bachelor's degrees or higher, 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.