State Rankings

Best Colleges in South Carolina

Top colleges in South Carolina ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 50

Avg grad earnings: $44,994

Public / Private: 31 / 19

Top Colleges in South Carolina

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Clemson University Clemson#55 national	Public	$71,513	38.0%	1,341	87.9%	$39,498
2	Furman University Greenville#97 national	Private	$68,635	52.6%	1,364	81.5%	$58,312
3	Wofford College Spartanburg#120 national	Private	$68,964	58.6%	1,297	80.8%	$54,100
4	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia#269 national	Public	$62,177	61.5%	1,297	77.8%	$34,934
5	Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston#288 national	Public	$72,085	98.1%	1,184	72.8%	$37,370
6	College of Charleston Charleston#400 national	Public	$56,416	72.0%	1,238	65.0%	$36,858
7	Presbyterian College Clinton#523 national	Private	$60,194	72.3%	1,214	61.9%	$43,300
8	Anderson University Anderson#776 national	Private	$42,101	52.8%	1,190	71.0%	$33,580
9	Bob Jones University Greenville#821 national	Private	$44,354	N/A	N/A	69.6%	$23,400
10	Winthrop University Rock Hill#897 national	Public	$47,185	75.1%	1,132	61.2%	$30,286
11	Coastal Carolina University Conway#1161 national	Public	$47,258	80.2%	1,128	50.8%	$29,628
12	University of South Carolina-Sumter Sumter#1220 national	Public	$42,437	76.3%	N/A	N/A	$18,238
13	Tri-County Technical College Pendleton#1382 national	Public	$40,101	N/A	N/A	N/A	$11,096
14	Aiken Technical College Graniteville#1399 national	Public	$39,225	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,916
15	Erskine College Due West#1417 national	Private	$53,459	60.6%	N/A	48.6%	$36,710
16	Midlands Technical College West Columbia#1433 national	Public	$38,701	N/A	N/A	N/A	$13,812
17	University of South Carolina-Upstate Spartanburg#1440 national	Public	$48,587	69.6%	1,082	42.4%	$22,545
18	University of South Carolina-Lancaster Lancaster#1512 national	Public	$39,426	75.8%	N/A	N/A	$18,238
19	York Technical College Rock Hill#1574 national	Public	$37,257	N/A	N/A	N/A	$10,824
20	Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway#1625 national	Public	$35,507	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,836
21	Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg#1671 national	Public	$37,097	N/A	N/A	N/A	$10,110
22	North Greenville University Tigerville#1755 national	Private	$43,035	62.8%	1,176	54.9%	$24,650
23	Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence#1793 national	Public	$32,748	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,772
24	Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College Orangeburg#1809 national	Public	$35,761	N/A	N/A	N/A	$7,970
25	Technical College of the Lowcountry Beaufort#1839 national	Public	$35,090	N/A	N/A	N/A	$11,044
26	University of South Carolina Beaufort Bluffton#1872 national	Public	$48,088	69.2%	N/A	38.6%	$21,776
27	Lander University Greenwood#1881 national	Public	$42,396	67.9%	1,057	48.8%	$21,300
28	Newberry College Newberry#1933 national	Private	$48,040	74.8%	1,008	44.4%	$30,050
29	Central Carolina Technical College Sumter#2003 national	Public	$32,603	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,016
30	University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken#2012 national	Public	$45,603	79.7%	1,063	40.1%	$21,218
31	Claflin University Orangeburg#2026 national	Private	$40,304	72.5%	N/A	49.1%	$17,046
32	Francis Marion University Florence#2069 national	Public	$43,888	82.2%	1,039	42.7%	$21,544
33	Piedmont Technical College Greenwood#2117 national	Public	$35,768	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,923
34	Charleston Southern University Charleston#2140 national	Private	$45,898	76.1%	1,056	48.6%	$31,030
35	Northeastern Technical College Cheraw#2149 national	Public	$32,141	N/A	N/A	N/A	$6,024
36	Southern Wesleyan University Central#2200 national	Private	$47,756	100.0%	1,106	52.0%	$27,870
37	Converse University Spartanburg#2212 national	Private	$40,867	64.0%	1,124	47.1%	$23,096
38	Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg#2271 national	Private	$42,895	81.4%	N/A	38.3%	$19,350
39	Columbia International University Columbia#2273 national	Private	$38,951	97.6%	N/A	65.5%	$27,900
40	Greenville Technical College Greenville#2341 national	Public	$39,473	N/A	N/A	17.6%	$10,657
41	Columbia College Columbia#2419 national	Private	$41,338	95.8%	N/A	53.5%	$21,450
42	Denmark Technical College Denmark#2440 national	Public	$25,351	N/A	N/A	N/A	$11,927
43	Allen University Columbia#2449 national	Private	$30,497	32.1%	N/A	13.2%	$14,304
44	Limestone University Gaffney#2535 national	Private	$44,999	98.3%	N/A	27.6%	$27,500
45	South Carolina State University Orangeburg#2556 national	Public	$38,262	81.7%	N/A	29.4%	$21,750
46	Coker University Hartsville#2558 national	Private	$40,117	97.2%	N/A	34.6%	$31,854
47	Benedict College Columbia#2584 national	Private	$31,902	67.3%	910	21.1%	$18,000
48	Medical University of South Carolina Charleston	Public	$88,420	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
49	Academy for Careers and Technology Mullins	Public	$46,553	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
50	Trident Technical College Charleston	Public	$38,253	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,606

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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