Best colleges for criminal justice in South Carolina

    Citadel Military College of South Carolina ranks first in South Carolina for criminal justice value (#43 nationally, value score 71.5): graduates earn $65,574 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $22,019 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 8 South Carolina colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

    See the rankingNational ranking

    Ask AI:ChatGPTClaude

    Best criminal justice colleges in South Carolina

    Citadel Military College of South Carolina ranks first in South Carolina for criminal justice value (#43 nationally, value score 71.5): graduates earn $65,574 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $22,019 a year. 8 South Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $50,336 and the average net price is $21,136 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 8 South Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, criminal justice graduates earn $50,336 and the average net price is $21,136 a year.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at University of South Carolina-Upstate: $15,680 a year.
    Median earnings
    $50,336
    National: $55,481
    Median net price
    $21,136
    National: $16,222
    Median federal debt
    $20,918
    criminal justice graduates
    Public colleges
    3 of 8
    in this list

    8 colleges

    The South Carolina ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in South Carolina 1

      Citadel Military College of South Carolina

      Charleston, SC · Public · #43 nationally

      71.5Value
      Earnings
      $65,574
      Net price
      $22,019
      Federal debt
      $21,000
      Graduation rate
      79%
    2. Rank in South Carolina 2

      Columbia College-South Carolina

      Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · #182 nationally

      52.0Value
      Earnings
      $59,371
      Net price
      $21,611
      Federal debt
      $20,125
      Graduation rate
      41%
    3. Rank in South Carolina 3

      Charleston Southern University

      Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · #278 nationally

      37.3Value
      Earnings
      $53,162
      Net price
      $20,661
      Federal debt
      $20,500
      Graduation rate
      50%
    4. Rank in South Carolina 4

      University of South Carolina-Columbia

      Columbia, SC · Public · #280 nationally

      37.3Value
      Earnings
      $50,847
      Net price
      $22,197
      Federal debt
      $20,875
      Graduation rate
      79%
    5. Rank in South Carolina 5

      Anderson University-South Carolina

      Anderson, SC · Private nonprofit · #302 nationally

      33.3Value
      Earnings
      $49,825
      Net price
      $24,068
      Federal debt
      $20,750
      Graduation rate
      72%
    6. Rank in South Carolina 6

      University of South Carolina-Upstate

      Spartanburg, SC · Public · #334 nationally

      28.4Value
      Earnings
      $48,209
      Net price
      $15,680
      Federal debt
      $20,961
      Graduation rate
      43%
    7. Rank in South Carolina 7

      Claflin University

      Orangeburg, SC · Private nonprofit · #368 nationally

      17.5Value
      Earnings
      $41,353
      Net price
      $16,532
      Federal debt
      $27,408
      Graduation rate
      47%
    8. Rank in South Carolina 8

      Benedict College

      Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit · #372 nationally

      14.2Value
      Earnings
      $39,337
      Net price
      $17,734
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      43%

    Method: the same value score as the national criminal justice ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about criminal justice colleges in South Carolina

    What are the best colleges for criminal justice in South Carolina?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 South Carolina colleges for criminal justice are Citadel Military College of South Carolina (value score 71.5), Columbia College-South Carolina (value score 52) and Charleston Southern University (value score 37.3). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which South Carolina college has the highest earnings for criminal justice graduates?

    Citadel Military College of South Carolina: its criminal justice graduates have median earnings of $65,574 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable criminal justice college in South Carolina on this list?

    University of South Carolina-Upstate has the lowest average net price of the ranked South Carolina colleges, $15,680 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many South Carolina colleges are ranked for criminal justice?

    8 South Carolina colleges have a criminal justice bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within South Carolina.