Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
By value for money, Citadel Military College of South Carolina ranked first and Clemson University ranked second for the best colleges in South Carolina. South Carolina is home to a number of historic universities and liberal arts colleges that combine nationally leading academic programs with a vibrant student life. The state is steeped in history, beautiful beaches, and renound Southern comfort food.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,619
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$72,085
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate73%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
#2 in South Carolina|#107 in National Universities
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$22,433
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$71,513
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate84%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
#3 in South Carolina|#180 in National Universities
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,044
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$62,177
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate77%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$31,357
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$68,635
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate80%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$29,236
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$68,964
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate81%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,157
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$60,194
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate64%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,690
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$56,416
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate65%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$13,466
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$48,587
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate60%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,952
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,258
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate50%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,920
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,756
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate60%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,576
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$47,185
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate61%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,671
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$48,040
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate53%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
#13 in South Carolina|#378 in National Universities
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$36,283
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$53,459
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate51%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,010
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$43,035
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate56%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,506
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$44,354
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate60%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$15,344
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$42,396
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate51%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,880
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$41,338
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate63%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,675
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$42,101
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate58%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,737
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$40,867
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate59%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,290
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$40,117
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate57%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in South Carolina for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$34,785
Certificate$41,176
Associate$39,599
Bachelor$55,393
Master$65,684
Cost of attending college in South Carolina
In-state-tuition$20,766
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$25,776
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in South Carolina
In South Carolina the most popular degrees are Business Administration, Registered Nursing, and Biology. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Business Administration 3,691graduates
2Registered Nursing 1,949graduates
3Biology 1,756graduates
4Education-grades & methods 1,556graduates
5General Psychology 1,379graduates
6Health & Fitness 1,236graduates
7Finance 906graduates
8Marketing 839graduates
9Comms & Media Studies 811graduates
10Public Health 785graduates
Fastest growing careers
South Carolina job growth
12%
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
66.3%
Nurse Practitioners
54.8%
Epidemiologists
50%
Statisticians
40.6%
Physician Assistants
38.7%
Information Security Analysts
38.4%
Marriage and Family Therapists
36.4%
Financial Examiners
35.3%
Medical and Health Services Managers
35.1%
Physical Therapist Assistants
34.9%
Best bachelor’s degrees in South Carolina
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Best colleges for social mobility in South Carolina
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in South Carolina are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
30.1%
Filters
South Carolina
12%
