15 Colleges Serving 56,940 Students near Columbia, South Carolina

There are 18 colleges located in Columbia, South Carolina. By school types, there are 2 public and 13 private schools. By school level, there are 6 four-year colleges, 3 community colleges, and 6 trade schools.

Columbia 4-Year Colleges 2025 Academic Statistics

The largest school among 4-year colleges near Columbia, South Carolina is University of South Carolina-Columbia with 38,532 students enrolled. The second largest school is Columbia International University with 2,914 students.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees for 6 4-year colleges is $12,688 for South Carolina residents and $22,367 for out-of-state students. For graduate programs, the tuition & fees are $14,134 for South Carolina residents and $16,374 for out-of-state students.

The average acceptance rate of the schools is 83.36% and the yield (enrollment rate) is 16.13%. The average graduation rate is 37% and total 45,976 students enrolled in the schools. Among enrolled students, 6,882 students enrolled online exclusively in colleges near Columbia, South Carolina.

Quick Summary for 4-Year Colleges Near Columbia, South Carolina

  • Number of Schools: 1 Public, 5 Private
  • Largest College: University of South Carolina-Columbia (38,532 students)
  • Average Undergraduate Tuition: $22,367 (Out-of-state), $12,688 (In-state)
  • Average Graduate Tuition: $16,374 (Out-of-state), $14,134 (In-state)
  • Average Acceptance Rate: 83.36%
  • Average SAT Score: 1,270
  • Average Graduation Rate: 37%
  • Total Enrollment: 45,976 students
    • Online Enrollment: 6,882 students
    • Undergraduate Enrollment: 35,197 students
    • Graduate Enrollment: 10,779 students
    • Gender Distribution: 18,392 Men, 27,584 Women

Columbia Community Colleges 2025 Academic Statistics

The average undergraduate tuition & fees for 3 community colleges is $6,300 for South Carolina residents and $18,186 for out-of-state students.

The average graduation rate is 43% and total 10,075 students enrolled in the schools. Among enrolled students, 2,891 students enrolled online exclusively in colleges near Columbia, South Carolina.

Quick Summary for Community Colleges (2-4 Years) Near Columbia, South Carolina

  • Number of Schools: 1 Public, 2 Private
  • Average Tuition: $18,186 (Out-of-state), $6,300 (In-state)
  • Average Graduation Rate: 43%
  • Total Enrollment: 10,075 students

15 Colleges Comparison Near Columbia

The following table lists and compares 15 Colleges near Columbia, South Carolina with tuition and important academic facts. You can sort the table by touching/clicking a column title that you want to sort.

Tuition Comparison between 4-Year Colleges near Columbia
School NameCity (distance from city center)Undergraduate Tuition & FeesGraduate Tuition & FeesAcceptance RateSAT ScoreEnrollmentStudent To faculty Ratio
South University-Columbiaprivate (for-profit) Columbia
(5.3 miles)
$17,895$16,611 - - 504 21 to 1
Benedict Collegeprivate (not-for-profit) Columbia
(6.9 miles)
$17,748$14,402 95.70% - 1,691 13 to 1
Allen Universityprivate (not-for-profit) Columbia
(6.9 miles)
$14,304$9,800 72.54% - 610 12 to 1
Columbia Collegeprivate (not-for-profit) Columbia
(7.3 miles)
$20,054$15,630 93.93% - 1,725 12 to 1
University of South Carolina-Columbiapublic Columbia
(7.6 miles)
$36,298
($12,688)
$30,160
($14,134)
60.15% 1270 38,532 19 to 1
Columbia International Universityprivate (not-for-profit) Columbia
(10.1 miles)
$27,900$11,640 94.47% - 2,914 13 to 1
Tuition Comparison between Community Colleges (2-4 Years) near Columbia
School NameCity (distance from city center)Tuition & FeesGraduation RateEnrollmentStudent To faculty Ratio
Southeastern College-Columbiaprivate (for-profit) Columbia
(3.8 miles)
$25,08067% 267 12 to 1
Fortis College-Columbiaprivate (for-profit) Columbia
(10.3 miles)
$14,77743% 582 29 to 1
Midlands Technical Collegepublic West Columbia
(13.6 miles)
$14,700
($6,300)
18% 9,226 15 to 1
Tuition Comparison between Trade Schools near Columbia
School NameCity (distance from city center)Tuition & FeesGraduation RateEnrollmentStudent To faculty Ratio
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Columbiaprivate (for-profit) West Columbia
(5.5 miles)
$8,69284% 64 20 to 1
Southeastern Esthetics Instituteprivate (for-profit) Elgin
(6.4 miles)
$9,50090% 358 20 to 1
Paul Mitchell the School-Columbiaprivate (for-profit) West Columbia
(10.1 miles)
$18,57569% 256 16 to 1
Barber Tech Academy-Columbiaprivate (for-profit) Columbia
(10.8 miles)
$17,135- 51 17 to 1
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology and Nails-Columbiaprivate (for-profit) West Columbia
(13.2 miles)
$18,76254% 127 20 to 1
LeGrand Institute of Cosmetology Incprivate (for-profit) Camden
(23.4 miles)
$15,00087% 33 17 to 1