Best ROI Colleges in South Carolina
25 schools ranked by median earnings divided by average net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.
Includes two-year, technical and community colleges alongside four-year universities — the typeis shown under each name. Schools appear only where the underlying figures exist: a real undergraduate population and a published graduation rate. Satellite campuses that repeat a parent institution's numbers are collapsed into one entry.
| # | School | Earnings ÷ Net Price | Net Price | Grad Rate | Earnings 10yr | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trident Technical College Charleston · community | 27.2× | $1,406 | 23.8% | $38,253 | — |
| 2 | Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence · community | 16.3× | $2,004 | 18.8% | $32,748 | — |
| 3 | Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg · community | 15.4× | $2,405 | 26.8% | $37,097 | — |
| 4 | Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway · community | 8.5× | $4,159 | 32.5% | $35,507 | — |
| 5 | Midlands Technical College West Columbia · community | 8.3× | $4,647 | 21.5% | $38,701 | — |
| 6 | Aiken Technical College Graniteville · community | 8.2× | $4,807 | 26.3% | $39,225 | — |
| 7 | York Technical College Rock Hill · community | 6.3× | $5,931 | 27.7% | $37,257 | — |
| 8 | Central Carolina Technical College Sumter · community | 5.9× | $5,571 | 22.3% | $32,603 | — |
| 9 | Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College Orangeburg · community | 5.8× | $6,186 | 36.2% | $35,761 | — |
| 10 | University of South Carolina-Sumter Sumter · community | 5.5× | $7,712 | 26.6% | $42,437 | 74.1% |
| 11 | Northeastern Technical College Cheraw · community | 4.6× | $6,913 | 24.9% | $32,141 | — |
| 12 | University of South Carolina-Union Union · community | 4.2× | $8,065 | 25.0% | $33,699 | 62.2% |
| 13 | University of South Carolina-Lancaster Lancaster · community | 4.0× | $9,801 | 24.8% | $39,426 | 83.4% |
| 14 | University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken · public | 3.9× | $11,641 | 45.7% | $45,603 | 78.5% |
| 15 | Francis Marion University Florence · public | 3.9× | $11,386 | 45.1% | $43,888 | 86.4% |
| 16 | Wofford College Spartanburg · private | 3.7× | $18,732 | 81.2% | $68,964 | 51.9% |
| 17 | University of South Carolina-Upstate Spartanburg · public | 3.6× | $13,557 | 58.2% | $48,587 | 67.3% |
| 18 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston · public | 3.5× | $20,723 | 73.5% | $72,085 | 22.7% |
| 19 | University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie Allendale · community | 3.4× | $9,229 | 27.3% | $31,360 | 76.0% |
| 20 | Coastal Carolina University Conway · public | 3.4× | $13,966 | 52.5% | $47,258 | 75.3% |
| 21 | Greenville Technical College Greenville · community | 3.4× | $11,713 | 25.2% | $39,473 | — |
| 22 | University of South Carolina Beaufort Bluffton · public | 3.3× | $14,656 | 39.9% | $48,088 | 72.5% |
| 23 | Erskine College Due West · private | 3.2× | $16,525 | 50.3% | $53,459 | 62.7% |
| 24 | Clemson University Clemson · public | 3.2× | $22,253 | 84.4% | $71,513 | 38.3% |
| 25 | Piedmont Technical College Greenwood · community | 3.1× | $11,366 | 32.2% | $35,768 | — |
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Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.