Tuition Trends for South Carolina colleges Over Past 10 Years

There are 97 colleges in South Carolina - 34 public and 63 private schools. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in South Carolina is $12,256 for South Carolina residents and $27,125 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $24,630. For South Carolina community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $6,133 for state residents and $11,127 for out-of-state students.

South Carolina public 4-year colleges' in-state tuition & fees increased by 19.53% from $11,303 (2015) to $13,510 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by 18.52% over the past decade from $23,943 (2015) to $28,378 (2024). In private South Carolina colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 19.20%, from $20,662 (2015) to $24,630 (2024).

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Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased by 20.24% when living on campus and by 19.33% when living off campus at public South Carolina colleges. For private South Carolina colleges, the COA has increased by 20.82% (on-campus) and 19.82% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes of South Carolina colleges
Year	Living On Campus			Living Off Campus
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$24,521	$37,161	$33,880	$25,077	$37,717	$34,436
2015-16	$24,958 1.78%	$37,940 2.10%	$34,524 1.90%	$25,496 1.67%	$38,478 2.02%	$35,062 1.82%
2016-17	$25,839 3.53%	$39,234 3.41%	$36,144 4.69%	$25,939 1.74%	$39,334 2.22%	$36,244 3.37%
2017-18	$26,492 2.53%	$40,283 2.67%	$36,328 0.51%	$26,960 3.94%	$40,751 3.60%	$36,796 1.52%
2018-19	$26,910 1.58%	$41,129 2.10%	$35,825 -1.38%	$27,095 0.50%	$41,314 1.38%	$36,010 -2.14%
2019-20	$27,186 1.03%	$41,748 1.51%	$36,589 2.13%	$27,695 2.21%	$42,257 2.28%	$37,098 3.02%
2020-21	$27,519 1.22%	$42,170 1.01%	$37,471 2.41%	$27,755 0.22%	$42,406 0.35%	$37,707 1.64%
2021-22	$27,900 1.38%	$42,921 1.78%	$38,809 3.57%	$28,126 1.34%	$43,147 1.75%	$39,035 3.52%
2022-23	$27,937 0.13%	$43,402 1.12%	$39,667 2.21%	$28,304 0.63%	$43,769 1.44%	$40,034 2.56%
2023-24	$29,813 6.72%	$44,681 2.95%	$40,933 3.19%	$30,141 6.49%	$45,009 2.83%	$41,261 3.06%

Tuition & Fees Changes

For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for South Carolina colleges is $14,860 for South Carolina residents and $29,728 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $24,630.

For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $14,024 for South Carolina residents and $26,617 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $17,520.

The tuition & fees has increased 18.52% for undergraduate programs and 10.44% for graduate programs at South Carolina colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.

Tuition & Fees Changes for South Carolina colleges
Year	Undergraduate			Graduate
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$11,303	$23,943	$20,662	$12,173	$23,495	$12,706
2015-16	$11,573 2.39%	$24,555 2.56%	$21,139 2.31%	$12,500 2.69%	$24,165 2.85%	$11,838 -6.83%
2016-17	$11,950 3.26%	$25,345 3.22%	$22,255 5.28%	$12,865 2.92%	$24,883 2.97%	$11,383 -3.84%
2017-18	$12,346 3.31%	$26,137 3.12%	$22,182 -0.33%	$12,987 0.95%	$25,138 1.02%	$13,718 20.51%
2018-19	$12,657 2.52%	$26,876 2.83%	$21,572 -2.75%	$13,087 0.77%	$25,346 0.83%	$13,005 -5.20%
2019-20	$12,718 0.48%	$27,280 1.50%	$22,121 2.54%	$13,103 0.12%	$25,843 1.96%	$15,093 16.06%
2020-21	$12,712 -0.05%	$27,363 0.30%	$22,664 2.45%	$13,106 0.02%	$25,914 0.27%	$15,705 4.05%
2021-22	$12,709 -0.02%	$27,730 1.34%	$23,618 4.21%	$13,165 0.45%	$25,473 -1.70%	$14,922 -4.99%
2022-23	$12,358 -2.76%	$27,823 0.34%	$24,088 1.99%	$12,979 -1.41%	$26,382 3.57%	$15,416 3.31%
2023-24	$13,510 9.32%	$28,378 1.99%	$24,630 2.25%	$13,354 2.89%	$25,947 -1.65%	$16,798 8.96%

South Carolina 4-Year Colleges Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

South Carolina Graduate Schools Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Books & Supplies Costs Changes for South Carolina colleges
Year	Books & Supplies
2014-15	$1,580
2015-16	$1,613 2.09%
2016-17	$1,598 -0.93%
2017-18	$1,614 1.00%
2018-19	$1,511 -6.38%
2019-20	$1,490 -1.39%
2020-21	$1,519 1.95%
2021-22	$1,525 0.39%
2022-23	$1,485 -2.62%
2023-24	$1,540 3.70%

Living Costs Changes

For South Carolina colleges, the living have increased 21.61% when a student lives on campus facilities and 18.19% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.

Living Costs Changes for South Carolina colleges
Year	Living On Campus	Living Off Campus
2014-15	$11,638	$12,128
2015-16	$11,772 2.16%	$12,347 0.90%
2016-17	$12,291 5.49%	$12,764 1.51%
2017-18	$12,532 2.10%	$13,134 5.00%
2018-19	$12,742 1.91%	$13,086 1.66%
2019-20	$12,978 2.57%	$13,567 3.49%
2020-21	$13,288 2.66%	$13,835 0.22%
2021-22	$13,666 2.22%	$14,185 2.48%
2022-23	$14,094 3.74%	$14,716 4.24%
2023-24	$14,763 5.27%	$15,325 5.61%

Most Searched South Carolina Colleges (last 30 days)

Undergraduate

Clemson University Public, four-years | Clemson
University of South Carolina-Columbia Public, four-years | Columbia
College of Charleston Public, four-years | Charleston
Coastal Carolina University Public, four-years | Conway
Furman University Private, four-years | Greenville
Anderson University Private, four-years | Anderson
Charleston Southern University Private, four-years | Charleston
Presbyterian College Private, four-years | Clinton
South Carolina State University Public, four-years | Orangeburg
Citadel Military College of South Carolina Public, four-years | Charleston

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Graduate

Clemson University Public, four-years | Clemson
Winthrop University Public, four-years | Rock Hill
University of South Carolina-Columbia Public, four-years | Columbia
College of Charleston Public, four-years | Charleston
Furman University Private, four-years | Greenville
University of South Carolina Aiken Public, four-years | Aiken
Francis Marion University Public, four-years | Florence
Allen University Private, four-years | Columbia
Columbia International University Private, four-years | Columbia
Voorhees University Private, four-years | Denmark

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Online Schools

Francis Marion University Public, four-years | Florence
College of Charleston Public, four-years | Charleston
Clemson University Public, four-years | Clemson
Denmark Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Denmark
Trident Technical College Public, 2-4 years | Charleston
Clinton College Private, four-years | Rock Hill
Columbia International University Private, four-years | Columbia
Presbyterian College Private, four-years | Clinton
Claflin University Private, four-years | Orangeburg
Furman University Private, four-years | Greenville

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Technical Colleges

Furman University Private, four-years | Greenville
Paul Mitchell the School-Charleston Private, Less than 2-years | North Charleston
Remington College-Columbia Campus Private, Less than 2-years | Columbia
Arclabs Private, Less than 2-years | Piedmont
Barber Tech Academy Private, Less than 2-years | Orangeburg
Strand College of Hair Design Private, Less than 2-years | Myrtle Beach
Paul Mitchell the School-Greenville Private, Less than 2-years | Greenville
Paul Mitchell the School-Columbia Private, Less than 2-years | West Columbia
B-Unique Beauty and Barber Academy Private, Less than 2-years | Greenville
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Spartanburg Private, Less than 2-years | Spartanburg

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Tuition Trends for South Carolina colleges Over Past 10 Years

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Tuition & Fees Changes

Books & Supplies Costs Changes

Living Costs Changes