Best colleges for nursing in South Carolina
Claflin University ranks first in South Carolina for nursing value (#256 nationally, value score 55.4): graduates earn $83,436 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,532 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 nursing colleges in South Carolina
Claflin University ranks first in South Carolina for nursing value (#256 nationally, value score 55.4): graduates earn $83,436 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $16,532 a year. 12 South Carolina colleges qualify. At the median one, nursing graduates earn $75,317 and the average net price is $18,653 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, nursing graduates earn $75,317 and the average net price is $18,653 a year.
- The lowest average net price among them is at Francis Marion University: $10,890 a year.
- Median earnings
- $75,317
- National: $85,171
- Median net price
- $18,653
- National: $18,014
- Median federal debt
- $19,000
- nursing graduates
- Public colleges
- 7 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.
- Rank in South Carolina 1
Orangeburg, SC · Private nonprofit · #256 nationally
55.4Value- Earnings
- $83,436
- Net price
- $16,532
- Federal debt
- $9,010
- Graduation rate
- 47%
- Rank in South Carolina 2
University of South Carolina-Upstate
Spartanburg, SC · Public · #420 nationally
44.0Value- Earnings
- $79,947
- Net price
- $15,680
- Federal debt
- $16,692
- Graduation rate
- 43%
- Rank in South Carolina 3
Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit · #425 nationally
43.8Value- Earnings
- $74,085
- Net price
- $14,632
- Federal debt
- $17,499
- Graduation rate
- 71%
- Rank in South Carolina 4
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public · #479 nationally
40.1Value- Earnings
- $80,768
- Net price
- $22,197
- Federal debt
- $22,500
- Graduation rate
- 79%
- Rank in South Carolina 5
University of South Carolina Aiken
Aiken, SC · Public · #499 nationally
38.6Value- Earnings
- $78,231
- Net price
- $14,565
- Federal debt
- $18,750
- Graduation rate
- 44%
- Earnings
- $74,491
- Net price
- $22,032
- Federal debt
- $19,000
- Graduation rate
- 88%
- Rank in South Carolina 7
Anderson University-South Carolina
Anderson, SC · Private nonprofit · #551 nationally
34.0Value- Earnings
- $76,147
- Net price
- $24,068
- Federal debt
- $18,156
- Graduation rate
- 72%
- Earnings
- $75,458
- Net price
- $16,659
- Federal debt
- $24,250
- Graduation rate
- 50%
- Earnings
- $72,580
- Net price
- $10,890
- Federal debt
- $25,750
- Graduation rate
- 38%
- Rank in South Carolina 10
Charleston Southern University
Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · #667 nationally
18.9Value- Earnings
- $75,175
- Net price
- $20,661
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Graduation rate
- 50%
- Rank in South Carolina 11
Newberry, SC · Private nonprofit · #680 nationally
14.4Value- Earnings
- $72,303
- Net price
- $22,104
- Federal debt
- Not reported
- Graduation rate
- 42%
- Rank in South Carolina 12
University of South Carolina Beaufort
Bluffton, SC · Public · #682 nationally
12.2Value- Earnings
- $70,311
- Net price
- $20,646
- Federal debt
- $27,000
- Graduation rate
- 39%
Method: the same value score as the national nursing 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 nursing colleges in South Carolina
What are the best colleges for nursing in South Carolina?
By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 South Carolina colleges for nursing are Claflin University (value score 55.4), University of South Carolina-Upstate (value score 44) and Bob Jones University (value score 43.8). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.
Which South Carolina college has the highest earnings for nursing graduates?
Claflin University: its nursing graduates have median earnings of $83,436 4 years after the bachelor's degree.
What is the most affordable nursing 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 nursing?
12 South Carolina colleges have a nursing 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.