2026 Best Return on Investment in South Carolina

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

29 South Carolina schools ranked in Kollegio's 2026 Best Return on Investment ranking, based on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data.

Showing 1–25 of 29 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

ⓘ

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

ⓘ

$82,308

Application fee

ⓘ

$150

Academics

Mean GPA

ⓘ

Mean SAT

ⓘ

1200

Mean ACT

ⓘ

#1 Best Return on Investment

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

#2 Best Return on Investment

Clemson University

Clemson

Acceptance rate

38.0%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$14,118

Avg. Cost after Aid

$24,000

#3 Best Return on Investment

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 Return on Investment

Bob Jones University

Greenville

Acceptance rate

83.0%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$19,212

Avg. Cost after Aid

$19,000

#5 Best Return on Investment

College of Charleston

Charleston

Acceptance rate

72.0%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$12,518

Avg. Cost after Aid

$20,000

#6 Best Return on Investment

Furman University

Greenville

Acceptance rate

52.6%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$52,992

Avg. Cost after Aid

$34,000

#7 Best Return on Investment

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 Return on Investment

Coastal Carolina University

Conway

Acceptance rate

80.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$11,460

Avg. Cost after Aid

$15,000

#9 Best Return on Investment

Presbyterian College

Clinton

Acceptance rate

72.3%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$38,220

Avg. Cost after Aid

$21,000

#10 Best Return on Investment

Wofford College

Spartanburg

Acceptance rate

58.6%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$47,845

Avg. Cost after Aid

$31,000

#11 Best Return on Investment

University of South Carolina Aiken

Aiken

Acceptance rate

79.7%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$10,398

Avg. Cost after Aid

$13,000

#12 Best Return on Investment

University of South Carolina Beaufort

Bluffton

Acceptance rate

69.2%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$10,344

Avg. Cost after Aid

$15,309

#13 Best Return on Investment

Winthrop University

Rock Hill

Acceptance rate

75.1%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$15,306

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,000

#14 Best Return on Investment

Lander University

Greenwood

Acceptance rate

67.9%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$10,700

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,000

#15 Best Return on Investment

Columbia International University

Columbia

Acceptance rate

97.6%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$24,490

Avg. Cost after Aid

$20,000

#16 Best Return on Investment

North Greenville University

Tigerville

Acceptance rate

62.8%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$22,470

Avg. Cost after Aid

$20,000

#17 Best Return on Investment

Francis Marion University

Florence

Acceptance rate

82.2%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$10,384

Avg. Cost after Aid

$13,000

#18 Best Return on Investment

Southern Wesleyan University

Central

Acceptance rate

100.0%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$25,748

Avg. Cost after Aid

$19,000

#19 Best Return on Investment

Erskine College

Due West

Acceptance rate

60.6%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$34,435

Avg. Cost after Aid

$34,000

#20 Best Return on Investment

Allen University

Columbia

Acceptance rate

32.1%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$12,540

Avg. Cost after Aid

$13,000

#21 Best Return on Investment

Newberry College

Newberry

Acceptance rate

74.8%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$25,650

Avg. Cost after Aid

$19,000

#22 Best Return on Investment

Columbia College, SC

Columbia

Acceptance rate

95.8%

Institution type

5YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$17,418

Avg. Cost after Aid

$15,468

#23 Best Return on Investment

Coker University

Hartsville

Acceptance rate

97.2%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$30,864

Avg. Cost after Aid

$18,000

#24 Best Return on Investment

Charleston Southern University

Charleston

Acceptance rate

76.1%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$28,660

Avg. Cost after Aid

$18,000

#25 Best Return on Investment

Converse University

Spartanburg

Acceptance rate

64.0%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$19,500

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,000

2026 Best Return on Investment in South Carolina

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