Best colleges for education in South Carolina
Clemson University ranks first in South Carolina for education value (#191 nationally, value score 56.4): graduates earn $49,861 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $22,032 a year.
Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 12 South Carolina colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026
Best education colleges in South Carolina
Clemson University ranks first in South Carolina for education value (#191 nationally, value score 56.4): graduates earn $49,861 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $22,032 a year. 12 South Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $43,708 and the average net price is $17,418 a year.
Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025
What the data shows
Key findings
- 12 South Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, education graduates earn $43,708 and the average net price is $17,418 a year.
- The lowest average net price among them is at Francis Marion University: $10,890 a year.
- Median earnings
- $43,708
- National: $48,822
- Median net price
- $17,418
- National: $17,201
- Median federal debt
- $23,100
- education graduates
- Public colleges
- 9 of 12
- in this list
12 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.
- Earnings
- $49,861
- Net price
- $22,032
- Federal debt
- $21,500
- Graduation rate
- 88%
- Earnings
- $46,036
- Net price
- $18,177
- Federal debt
- $19,500
- Graduation rate
- 65%
- Earnings
- $46,581
- Net price
- $15,287
- Federal debt
- $23,250
- Graduation rate
- 54%
- Earnings
- $43,637
- Net price
- $16,659
- Federal debt
- $21,420
- Graduation rate
- 50%
- Rank in South Carolina 5
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public · #424 nationally
31.9Value- Earnings
- $43,687
- Net price
- $22,197
- Federal debt
- $23,000
- Graduation rate
- 79%
- Rank in South Carolina 6
University of South Carolina Aiken
Aiken, SC · Public · #426 nationally
31.8Value- Earnings
- $43,728
- Net price
- $14,565
- Federal debt
- $22,500
- Graduation rate
- 44%
- Earnings
- $44,487
- Net price
- $16,375
- Federal debt
- $25,430
- Graduation rate
- 52%
- Earnings
- $40,933
- Net price
- $10,890
- Federal debt
- $23,500
- Graduation rate
- 38%
- Rank in South Carolina 9
University of South Carolina-Upstate
Spartanburg, SC · Public · #467 nationally
26.5Value- Earnings
- $42,119
- Net price
- $15,680
- Federal debt
- $21,779
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- Rank in South Carolina 10
Anderson University-South Carolina
Anderson, SC · Private nonprofit · #476 nationally
25.1Value- Earnings
- $43,612
- Net price
- $24,068
- Federal debt
- $26,600
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Rank in South Carolina 11
Charleston Southern University
Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · #479 nationally
24.6Value- Earnings
- $43,743
- Net price
- $20,661
- Federal debt
- $23,200
- Graduation rate
- 50%
- Rank in South Carolina 12
Tigerville, SC · Private nonprofit · #508 nationally
17.2Value- Earnings
- $40,804
- Net price
- $22,235
- Federal debt
- $23,798
- Graduation rate
- 54%
Method: the same value score as the national education 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 education colleges in South Carolina
What are the best colleges for education in South Carolina?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 South Carolina colleges for education are Clemson University (value score 56.4), College of Charleston (value score 45.7) and Coastal Carolina University (value score 43.7). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which South Carolina college has the highest earnings for education graduates?
Clemson University: its education graduates have median earnings of $49,861 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable education college in South Carolina on this list?
Francis Marion University has the lowest average net price of the ranked South Carolina colleges, $10,890 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.
How many South Carolina colleges are ranked for education?
12 South Carolina colleges have a education 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.