The 10 Cheapest Colleges in South Carolina
What’s Covered:
- The 10 Cheapest Colleges in South Carolina
- Tips for Saving Money on College
- How Much Will You Pay for College?
The cost of college has been rising for decades—the price of college tuition has risen 5.6% per year on average since 1983. Consequently, the price of college is a growing concern for students; according to a national study of college students and parents, 81% of families eliminated a school from consideration due to its cost.
One method for keeping college expenses down is to choose an affordable school, such as one of the ten cheapest colleges in South Carolina listed below.
The 10 Cheapest Colleges in South Carolina
1. The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina | The Citadel
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $12,570/$38,508
Location: Charleston, SC
Acceptance Rate: 98%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,661
The Citadel offers students a traditional military education rooted in discipline, leadership, and character development. Undergraduates join the Corps of Cadets, living and learning within a structured military environment. While service after graduation isn’t required, roughly one-third of graduates choose to commission and go on to serve as officers across all branches of the U.S. military.
Learn more about The Citadel and what it takes to get accepted.
2. South Carolina State University
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $11,060/$21,750
Location: Orangeburg, SC
Acceptance Rate: 82%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,762
South Carolina State University (SCSU) was founded in 1896 as the state’s sole public college for Black youth and, throughout its history, has played a critical role in the education of African Americans. According to a 2017 New York Times study, SCSU ranked ahead of every other college in South Carolina for income mobility—that is, a student’s ability to move up income quintiles.
SCSU’s ROTC program—the “Bulldog Battalion”—is one of the Army’s largest producers of minority officers.
Learn more about South Carolina State University and what it takes to get accepted.
3. Clinton College
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $11,136/$11,136
Location: Rock Hill, SC
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 106
Clinton College is one of eight historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) that call South Carolina home. Clinton College has operated continuously for more than 120 years since its founding by the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church during Reconstruction.
Today, the school continues its heritage as a Christian College that promotes academic achievement along with moral and spiritual development. Clinton College made news in 2021 when it provided its full-time students with free tuition and laptops for the 2021-22 academic year.
Learn more about Clinton College and what it takes to get accepted.
4. University of South Carolina-Beaufort
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $10,730/$21,776
Location: Bluffton, SC
Acceptance Rate: 69%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,607
Numerous desirable qualities attract students to the University of South Carolina-Beaufort (USCB), including its proximity to the ocean and relaxed coastal lifestyle. Another attention-grabbing characteristic of USCB is its Hilton Head Island campus, which is home to the university’s Hospitality Management degree program. Located at a world-class destination, USCB’s Hilton Head campus is just a mile from the beach and offers students an incredible opportunity to gain firsthand hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management experience.
Learn more about the University of South Carolina-Beaufort and what it takes to get accepted.
5. Francis Marion University
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $11,160/$21,544
Location: Florence, SC
Acceptance Rate: 82%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,623
Francis Marion University (FMU) takes its name from General Francis Marion—nicknamed ”the Swamp Fox”—one of the heroes of the southern theater of the American Revolution. It should come as no surprise that the school is known as the Patriots.
Despite delivering an affordable education to all its students—96% of whom come from South Carolina—the university still attracts a broad student body, with students from 26 states and 13 countries. It also offers a low 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio, an average class size of fewer than 20, and nearly 90% of faculty hold a terminal degree.
Learn more about Francis Marion University and what it takes to get accepted.
6. University of South Carolina Aiken | USC Aiken
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $10,760/$21,218
Location: Aiken, SC
Acceptance Rate: 80%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,109
The University of South Carolina Aiken’s status as one of the most affordable colleges in the state directly benefits its students—over 30% of undergraduates receive full tuition support, and in recent years, more than 40% have graduated with no debt.
The university has also committed to veteran students—it’s consistently included on the Military Times rankings both nationally and statewide as one of the best colleges for vets and is home. It’s also home to a growing ROTC program.
Learn more about the University of South Carolina Aiken and what it takes to get accepted.
7. Lander University
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $11,700/$21,300
Location: Greenwood, SC
Acceptance Rate: 68%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,669
Lander University was founded in 1872 as a college for women and didn’t become coeducational until 1943. Lander University offers more than 90 areas of study through its six colleges and schools:
- College of Business
- College of Education
- College of Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences
- School of Nursing, Human Performance & Health Sciences
- College of Science & Mathematics
- The Honors College
Lander University’s Experience Your Education (EYE) Program provides students with the opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-world issues and prepare for post-graduation careers through internships, co-ops, service learning, course-embedded projects, and study abroad experiences.
Learn more about Lander University and what it takes to get accepted.
8. University of South Carolina Upstate | USC Upstate
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $11,588/$23,090
Location: Spartanburg, SC
Acceptance Rate: 70%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 4,471
University of South Carolina Upstate is one of eight universities in the South Carolina state system. USC Upstate is located in Spartanburg, a quietly great college town and center for higher education—seven colleges and universities and nearly 15,000 students call it home. In fact, more than 80% of USC Upstate graduates remain in the region after college and join an impressive network of over 30,000 alumni.
Learn more about the University of South Carolina Upstate and what it takes to get accepted.
9. Coastal Carolina University | Coastal
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $11,640/$29,628
Location: Conway, SC
Acceptance Rate: 80%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 10,306
A big appeal of Coastal Carolina University (CCU) is its location—it’s just minutes from the popular resort area Myrtle Beach. Another attractive quality is its campus, which appears regularly in rankings of the nation’s most beautiful college campuses.
A unique program at CCU is its bike rental program—the university has a fleet of 350 cruiser bikes, which students can rent (along with a helmet and lock) for 30 days at a time for free.
Learn more about Coastal Carolina University and what it takes to get accepted.
10. Voorhees University
Tuition In-state/Out-of-state: $12,630/$12,630
Location: Denmark, SC
Acceptance Rate: 100%
Undergraduate Enrollment: 460
Voorhees University is another of South Carolina’s HBCUs—it was the first Black college in the state to receive full accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, along with being the first HBCU founded by a woman. Voorhees is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and provides a liberal arts education that blends the beliefs of Dr. Booker T. Washington and Dr. W.E.B. Dubois by balancing career training with liberal arts.
Learn more about Voorhees University and what it takes to get accepted.
Tips for Saving Money on College
Choosing an affordable college is just one approach students employ to control the expense of college. Below are a few other strategies for saving.
Plan Your Courses Wisely
Taking classes that don’t count toward your degree is a common way students increase the cost of college—they not only end up paying for courses and textbooks that don’t contribute to their degree, but also extend the time they spend in college, which adds other expenses like extra years of room and board.
A mere 40% of college students earn a bachelor’s degree in four years. Students should work with their academic advisors to ensure efficient planning and sequencing of their coursework to avoid spending extra time in college.
Taking summer and winter classes is another strategy to stay on schedule to graduate on time.
AP Courses and Dual Enrollment
Earning credit while in high school is another tried-and-true method for reducing college costs. Most colleges will award students credit if they score a 3 or higher on their AP exams, which allows them to get a jumpstart on their degree—at a fraction of the cost—before ever setting foot on a college campus.
Dual enrollment allows high schoolers to earn high school and college credit simultaneously and reduces the number of classes they need to complete while at college to earn their degree. Dual enrollment costs significantly less than traditional college credits—helping keep overall college costs down while also exposing students to the rigors of university-level work.
Understand the Real Cost of College
The sticker price of a school is a poor indicator of what college will cost. A 2019 report from the New York Times Magazine found that 89% of students don’t pay full price for college. In fact, it’s not unusual for expensive private schools to cost less than their public counterparts with more affordable sticker prices after grants, scholarships, and merit aid are calculated. For example, all 50 schools on Collegevine’s list of colleges that give out the most merit aid are private.
Private colleges generally have larger endowments and are more generous in awarding merit aid for a variety of reasons, including attracting students to their campuses, competing against other schools, and improving enrollment.
How Much Will You Pay for College?
Sticker price is a poor indicator of what college will cost to attend. Net price—a calculation that uses factors like financial aid and scholarships—provides a more accurate picture of what you can expect to pay for college. While you can use each individual school’s net price calculator, Collegevine’s free Financial Aid Calculator lets you estimate the cost of South Carolina colleges and universities, along with hundreds of schools across the country, in just minutes.
