The cost of college in South Carolina — and what it pays back
Across the 60 South Carolina institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $15,995/yr, $907 below the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $39,783 ten years after entry (below the $43,549 national median), and 10 of the 60 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How South Carolina's 60 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | $20,723 | $72,085 | 3.5 yrs |
| Wofford College | $18,732 | $68,964 | 3.6 yrs |
| Clemson University | $22,253 | $71,513 | 3.8 yrs |
| Galen Health Institutes-Myrtle Beach | $25,662 | $61,480 | 3.9 yrs |
| Furman University | $30,308 | $68,635 | 6 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trident Technical College | $1,406 | $38,253 | no payback |
| Florence-Darlington Technical College | $2,004 | $32,748 | no payback |
| Spartanburg Community College | $2,405 | $37,097 | no payback |
| Horry-Georgetown Technical College | $4,159 | $35,507 | no payback |
| Midlands Technical College | $4,647 | $38,701 | no payback |
How many South Carolina colleges actually pay for themselves?
10 of 60 — 17% of the South Carolina institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do South Carolina graduates out-earn the national median?
South Carolina graduates report a median $39,783 ten years after entry, $3,766 below the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.