Best Art & Design Colleges in South Carolina (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 14 schools for Art & Design in South Carolina by the median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing. Across the 9 schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $59,646 at Clemson University to $29,602, with a median of $35,612.
The list mixes four-year and two-year completion medians; for 2 of the 14 listed schools the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 9 of the 14 schools, or 64%, alongside 5 private nonprofits. University of South Carolina-Columbia ranks 173rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the list. Francis Marion University posts the lowest average net price at $11,386.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Art & Design Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | $59,646 | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
| Clemson University reports $59,646 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 87%, ranking 1st on this page. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (84 graduates), Visual and Performing Arts, Other (15 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (14 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($66,150) | |||||
| 2 | Furman University · Greenville, SC | $52,225 | $30,308 | $16,401 | 43.0% |
| A private nonprofit university in Greenville, Furman University posts $52,225 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing and carries an average net price of $30,308. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (28 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (21 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (8 graduates) | |||||
| 3 | College of Charleston · Charleston, SC | No published median | $18,960 | $12,133 | 60.0% |
| College of Charleston admits 60% of applicants and graduates 66% of its students within six years, while its average net price sits at $18,960. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management (54 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (52 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (19 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management ($52,674), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($44,991), Fine and Studio Arts ($38,378) | |||||
| 4 | Charleston Southern University · Charleston, SC | $41,925 | $21,666 | $20,145 | 96.5% |
| With an admission rate of 96%, Charleston Southern University is the most open school on the page and reports $41,925 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (12 graduates) | |||||
| 5 | University of South Carolina-Columbia · Columbia, SC | No published median | $22,811 | $12,634 | 60.2% |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia has an Azimuth composite rank of 173rd among nonprofit four-year institutions and an average net price of $22,811. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Film/Video and Photographic Arts (100 graduates), Music (53 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (43 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Music ($45,181), Film/Video and Photographic Arts ($40,962), Fine and Studio Arts ($39,517) | |||||
| 6 | Lander University · Greenwood, SC | $40,202 | $15,363 | $11,450 | 81.3% |
| Lander University posts $40,202 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing alongside an average net price of $15,363. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (21 graduates), Visual and Performing Arts, General (5 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($40,202) | |||||
| 7 | Winthrop University · Rock Hill, SC | No published median | $15,343 | $12,608 | 79.3% |
| Winthrop University shows an average net price of $12,608 for families earning under $30,000 and admits 79% of applicants. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (34 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (32 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (19 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($54,194), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($40,948), Fine and Studio Arts ($37,440) | |||||
| 8 | Coastal Carolina University · Conway, SC | No published median | $13,966 | $9,563 | 75.3% |
| Coastal Carolina University lists an average net price of $13,966 and reports a six-year completion rate of 48%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Design and Applied Arts (42 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (40 graduates), Fine and Studio Arts (18 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Design and Applied Arts ($40,150), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft ($33,962) | |||||
| 9 | University of South Carolina-Upstate · Spartanburg, SC | $35,612 | $13,557 | $11,618 | 67.3% |
| University of South Carolina-Upstate reports $35,612 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing, matching the median across the 9 schools with citable earnings, and admits 67% of applicants. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (22 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (9 graduates), Music (5 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($35,612) | |||||
| 10 | University of South Carolina Aiken · Aiken, SC | $31,931 | $11,641 | $8,987 | 78.5% |
| In Aiken, University of South Carolina Aiken posts $31,931 in median earnings of Art & Design graduates four years after completing and records an average net price of $11,641. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (13 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Fine and Studio Arts ($31,931) | |||||
| 11 | Anderson University · Anderson, SC | No published median | $23,544 | $17,188 | 54.7% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Anderson, Anderson University admits 55% of applicants and graduates 66% of its students within six years. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (23 graduates), Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (18 graduates), Music (7 graduates) | |||||
| 12 | Converse University · Spartanburg, SC | $30,409 | $23,283 | $14,137 | 67.7% |
| Converse University reports $30,409 in median earnings for its Art & Design graduates two years after completing, and its average net price is $23,283. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (12 graduates), Music (8 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (7 graduates) | |||||
| 13 | Bob Jones University · Greenville, SC | $29,685 | $16,641 | $14,287 | Not reported |
| Bob Jones University, a private nonprofit university in Greenville, reports median earnings of $29,685 for its Art & Design graduates two years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Music (21 graduates), Design and Applied Arts (13 graduates), Visual and Performing Arts, General (8 graduates) | |||||
| 14 | Francis Marion University · Florence, SC | $29,602 | $11,386 | $9,723 | 86.4% |
| Francis Marion University admits 86% of applicants and posts a six-year completion rate of 43%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Fine and Studio Arts (14 graduates), Visual and Performing Arts, General (6 graduates) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Art & Design graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only schools with a reported Art & Design earnings cohort in South Carolina appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after finishing. For 2 of the 14 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 9 schools with a published figure. Clemson University leads Furman University by $7,421, and the spread from top to bottom reaches $30,044.
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- Best Colleges in South Carolina
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- Best Art & Design Colleges in Kentucky
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