Highest Paying Colleges in South Carolina (2026)
Updated
Highest Paying Colleges in South Carolina lists 32 institutions in South Carolina. Schools are ordered by Azimuth's return pillar for South Carolina, highest first.
Medical University of South Carolina, a public institution in Charleston, ranks 1st on this list, reporting $89,770 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing. Citadel Military College of South Carolina follows at 2nd, reporting $74,517 in median earnings for its graduates four years after completing. The list includes 13 public and 19 private nonprofit schools.
University of South Carolina-Columbia ranks 173rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally. Allen University posts the lowest average net price at $10,972.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median earnings, 4 years after completion | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical University of South Carolina · Charleston, SC | $89,770 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Medical University of South Carolina reports median earnings of $89,770 for its graduates four years after completing, ranking 1st on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina · Charleston, SC | $74,517 | $20,723 | $15,430 | 22.7% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 75%, Citadel Military College of South Carolina ranks 2nd on this page and posts median earnings of $74,517 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Clemson University · Clemson, SC | $75,142 | $22,253 | $13,607 | 38.3% |
| Clemson University admits 38% of applicants and its graduates earn a median of $75,142 four years after completing, placing it 3rd on this list. | |||||
| 4 | Wofford College · Spartanburg, SC | $65,763 | $18,732 | $8,493 | 51.9% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Spartanburg, Wofford College carries an average net price of $18,732 and ranks 4th on this page. | |||||
| 5 | University of South Carolina-Columbia · Columbia, SC | $67,741 | $22,811 | $12,634 | 60.2% |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia holds an Azimuth composite rank of 173rd among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $67,741 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Furman University · Greenville, SC | $64,492 | $30,308 | $16,401 | 43.0% |
| Graduates of Furman University earn a median of $64,492 four years after completing, and the school admits 43% of applicants. | |||||
| 7 | Charleston Southern University · Charleston, SC | $54,684 | $21,666 | $20,145 | 96.5% |
| Charleston Southern University ranks 7th on this list, with an average net price of $20,145 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 8 | Southern Wesleyan University · Central, SC | $52,228 | $15,464 | $14,084 | 99.5% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 52%, Southern Wesleyan University reports median earnings of $52,228 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | College of Charleston · Charleston, SC | $58,354 | $18,960 | $12,133 | 60.0% |
| College of Charleston admits 60% of applicants and its graduates earn a median of $58,354 four years after completing, placing it 9th on this list. | |||||
| 10 | Columbia College · Columbia, SC | $52,308 | $18,408 | $17,541 | 93.9% |
| Columbia College carries an average net price of $18,408 and ranks 10th on this page. | |||||
| 11 | University of South Carolina-Upstate · Spartanburg, SC | $55,994 | $13,557 | $11,618 | 67.3% |
| Graduates of University of South Carolina-Upstate earn a median of $55,994 four years after completing, and the school holds an Azimuth composite rank of 374th among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 12 | Presbyterian College · Clinton, SC | $57,042 | $20,528 | $18,277 | 68.4% |
| Presbyterian College reports an average net price of $18,277 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 12th on this list. | |||||
| 13 | University of South Carolina Aiken · Aiken, SC | $53,299 | $11,641 | $8,987 | 78.5% |
| Ranks 13th on this list, University of South Carolina Aiken reports median earnings of $53,299 for its graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 79%. | |||||
| 14 | Francis Marion University · Florence, SC | $52,141 | $11,386 | $9,723 | 86.4% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 43%, Francis Marion University ranks 14th on this list and shows an admission rate of 86%. | |||||
| 15 | Anderson University · Anderson, SC | $55,541 | $23,544 | $17,188 | 54.7% |
| Anderson University, a private nonprofit university in Anderson, posts median earnings of $55,541 for its graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $23,544. | |||||
| 16 | Converse University · Spartanburg, SC | $44,925 | $23,283 | $14,137 | 67.7% |
| Converse University admits 68% of applicants and reports median earnings of $44,925 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Winthrop University · Rock Hill, SC | $48,693 | $15,343 | $12,608 | 79.3% |
| Ranking 17th on this list, Winthrop University shows a six-year completion rate of 57% and an average net price of $15,343. | |||||
| 18 | Newberry College · Newberry, SC | $50,324 | $21,656 | $19,887 | 89.8% |
| Newberry College reports median earnings of $50,324 for its graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $19,887 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 19 | Coastal Carolina University · Conway, SC | $52,398 | $13,966 | $9,563 | 75.3% |
| Coastal Carolina University ranks 692nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $52,398 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | University of South Carolina Beaufort · Bluffton, SC | $49,235 | $14,656 | $11,397 | 72.5% |
| With an admission rate of 72%, University of South Carolina Beaufort reports a six-year completion rate of 34% and median earnings of $49,235 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | Coker University · Hartsville, SC | $47,935 | $20,286 | $16,789 | 94.0% |
| Coker University reports an average net price of $20,286 and median earnings of $47,935 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | South Carolina State University · Orangeburg, SC | $46,691 | $18,097 | $16,846 | 82.6% |
| South Carolina State University ranks 22nd on this list, with a six-year completion rate of 37% and an average net price of $16,846 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 23 | Lander University · Greenwood, SC | $47,003 | $15,363 | $11,450 | 81.3% |
| Lander University reports median earnings of $47,003 for its graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 81%. | |||||
| 24 | Bob Jones University · Greenville, SC | $46,177 | $16,641 | $14,287 | Not reported |
| Bob Jones University shows a six-year completion rate of 65% and reports median earnings of $46,177 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Morris College · Sumter, SC | $39,972 | $20,555 | $20,485 | Not reported |
| Morris College reports median earnings of $39,972 for its graduates four years after completing, and its six-year completion rate stands at 17%. | |||||
| 26 | Claflin University · Orangeburg, SC | $43,925 | $17,800 | $16,354 | 64.9% |
| Claflin University admits 65% of applicants and carries an average net price of $17,800. | |||||
| 27 | Erskine College · Due West, SC | $48,305 | $16,525 | $14,555 | 62.7% |
| Graduates of Erskine College earn a median of $48,305 four years after completing, and the school's six-year completion rate is 45%. | |||||
| 28 | Benedict College · Columbia, SC | $41,293 | $18,250 | $17,177 | 95.7% |
| With an admission rate of 96%, Benedict College posts median earnings of $41,293 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | North Greenville University · Tigerville, SC | $44,607 | $21,063 | $18,947 | 66.7% |
| North Greenville University reports a six-year completion rate of 55% and an average net price of $21,063. | |||||
| 30 | Voorhees University · Denmark, SC | $36,170 | $13,335 | $11,968 | Not reported |
| Voorhees University carries an average net price of $13,335, and its graduates earn a median of $36,170 four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Columbia International University · Columbia, SC | $40,332 | $26,036 | $21,955 | 94.5% |
| Columbia International University admits 94% of applicants and reports median earnings of $40,332 for its graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 32 | Allen University · Columbia, SC | $36,436 | $10,972 | $10,553 | 72.5% |
| Allen University posts a six-year completion rate of 13% and an average net price of $10,972. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by Azimuth's return pillar for South Carolina, highest first. The pillar measures four-year earnings, modeled value added and program earnings relative to national benchmarks, as set out on Azimuth's methodology page. The earnings figures are medians for federally aided completers of each institution, across all fields, who were working and not enrolled four years after completing. The list does not measure cost, selectivity, or teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 32 schools with a reported completion median. Medical University of South Carolina posts median earnings of $89,770, while Citadel Military College of South Carolina reports $74,517.