2026 Best Public Universities in South Carolina

Name: 2026 Best Public Universities in South Carolina (Kollegio college rankings)
Creator: Kollegio
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

12 South Carolina schools ranked in Kollegio's 2026 Best Public Universities ranking, based on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data.

Showing 1–12 of 12 colleges · How we rank colleges

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Cost of attendance after aid

ⓘ

$77,180

Institution type

2 Year4 Year5 Year

Field of study

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Campus Detail

Institution setting

AllCitySuburbanRural

Undergraduate enrollment

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268763

Financial

Alumni starting salary

Tuition cost

ⓘ

$67,000

In-state tuition

ⓘ

Proportion of need based aid received

ⓘ

100%Clear Filter

International students received aid

ⓘ

100%

Average aid package

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$82,308

Application fee

ⓘ

$150

Academics

Mean GPA

ⓘ

Mean SAT

ⓘ

1200

Mean ACT

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#1 Best Public Universities

Clemson University

Clemson

Acceptance rate

38.0%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$14,118

Avg. Cost after Aid

$24,000

#2 Best Public Universities

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina

Charleston

Acceptance rate

98.1%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$8,356

Avg. Cost after Aid

$19,000

#3 Best Public Universities

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia

Acceptance rate

61.5%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$12,288

Avg. Cost after Aid

$14,303

#4 Best Public Universities

College of Charleston

Charleston

Acceptance rate

72.0%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$12,518

Avg. Cost after Aid

$20,000

#5 Best Public Universities

Coastal Carolina University

Conway

Acceptance rate

80.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$11,460

Avg. Cost after Aid

$15,000

#6 Best Public Universities

Winthrop University

Rock Hill

Acceptance rate

75.1%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$15,306

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,000

#7 Best Public Universities

University of South Carolina Upstate

Spartanburg

Acceptance rate

69.6%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$11,208

Avg. Cost after Aid

$15,000

#8 Best Public Universities

University of South Carolina Aiken

Aiken

Acceptance rate

79.7%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$10,398

Avg. Cost after Aid

$13,000

#9 Best Public Universities

Francis Marion University

Florence

Acceptance rate

82.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$10,384

Avg. Cost after Aid

$13,000

#10 Best Public Universities

Lander University

Greenwood

Acceptance rate

67.9%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$10,700

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,000

#11 Best Public Universities

University of South Carolina Beaufort

Bluffton

Acceptance rate

69.2%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$10,344

Avg. Cost after Aid

$15,309

#12 Best Public Universities

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg

Acceptance rate

81.7%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$9,528

Avg. Cost after Aid

$21,000

2026 Best Public Universities in South Carolina

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