For students who wish to earn their degree from an online college or university in South Carolina, this guide covers the shape of higher education in the state, cost-efficient schools, tuition reduction programs, scholarship opportunities, and job outlook data.
But before we dive into our list of best online colleges in South Carolina, let's start with the state of higher education and online education in particular in South Carolina today.
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Overview of Online Colleges in South Carolina
Overview of Higher Education in South Carolina
Data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) indicate that during the 2015-2016 academic year, South Carolina granted degrees at 77 institutions of higher learning, including 33 public, 22 nonprofit, and 22 for-profit institutions. NCES data also reveals that in 2016, 246,563 students enrolled into degree-granting higher education institutions in the state.[dataviz-stats public="33" non-profit="22" for-profit="22"]While many postsecondary students hold state residency, the presence of inexpensive online colleges in South Carolina attracts many out-of-state students. According to College Board, residents can anticipate paying $12,950 for public four-year tuition during the 2018-2019 school year, while out-of-state tuition starts out around $15,000 annually and may reach above $30,000. In fact, at the University of South Carolina, the state's flagship school, residents currently pay $12,616 and out-of-state students pay $33,298.South Carolina provides noteworthy financial support to its students. According to the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs, South Carolina provided $350,957,952 in assistance during the 2015-2015 school year. In fact, $28,218,382 supported the South Carolina primary need-based grant, which helped nearly 30,000 students. Furthermore, a notable $317,570,848 assisted students without considering need at all, which reached over 91,000 students.
Higher Education in South Carolina
Featured Online Programs
State of Online Higher Education in South Carolina
Around the country, the demand for online learning options continues to grow. In fact, nearly 30% of college students currently take at least one distance education course to satisfy their undergraduate or graduate curriculum. In 2015, at least 39% of students registered for an online course in South Carolina, and 89% of the state's distance learners live there.[dataviz-nces online="5.9" undergrad="83.1" in-state="89"]
Tuition Breaks for Out-of-State Students
For the past 70 years, the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has worked to improve public education by collaborating with education agency officials, influential policymakers, and legislatures to develop stronger policies that help college students complete their programs and lead to professional success. The SREB also engages in ongoing research, analyzes data, and provides public reports for current issues. Additionally, the SREB strives to pool resources across multiple states to provide students access to the best programs at affordable rates.Out-of-state students considering a degree in South Carolina may qualify for tuition breaks through the SREB's Academic Common Market. For more than 35 years, this program has provided access to in-state tuition rates when academic programs do not exist in a student's home state. The SREB program limits duplicate programs due to impracticality, which reinforces existing programs for maximum efficiency. The Academic Common Market does not provide assistance for first-professional degrees including medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, or law. Students must also meet academic requirements of their university, which may include additional stipulations including full-time enrollment or a higher minimum GPA requirement.SREB member states include Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Best Online Colleges in South Carolina
Below, you will find our rankings of the best online four-year programs in South Carolina. Our profiles look at how schools approach online education and then list out their services for distance students and their popular, fully online degrees. After reviewing the best online schools in South Carolina, explore our state resources, like a database of every college and university in South Carolina or our index of popular in-state scholarships.
Ranking Methodology
To determine the best online colleges in each state, we examined the factors most important to prospective students: Academic quality and reputation, online program strength, and cost and student aid. At the most basic level, we use the following formula to determine the best online colleges: Academic Quality + Online Offerings + Cost and Student Aid = Final Score. Of course, there's more to these calculations than meets the eye. Visit our methodology page to discover the data points that shape our formula and to learn more about the process we use to rank schools.
Most Affordable Online Colleges in South Carolina
Below, you'll find all of the online schools in South Carolina sorted by their tuition rates.
Affordability Methodology
Our list of the most affordable online colleges in South Carolina is based on in-state yearly tuition, or annual tuition rates if a school does not differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition rates are based on a full course load each semester or term. All colleges on the list offer at least one bachelor's degree completion program available entirely online.The online schools in SC with the lowest tuition are ranked highest, providing prospective students with a true list of the most affordable online colleges in their state.
College Graduate Outlook in South Carolina
Job Outlook for College Graduates in South Carolina
Students planning to join the South Carolina workforce should examine the job market. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), South Carolina professionals earn an average of $42,240 per year, and the unemployment rate rests at 3.3%. Students should also consider employment rates by industry since they vary.