There are 96 colleges in South Carolina - 34 public and 62 private schools.
The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in South Carolina is $12,257 for South Carolina residents and $27,164 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $24,363. For South Carolina community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $6,133 for state residents and $11,129 for out-of-state students.
In South Carolina, for public 4-years 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).
Cost of Attendance (COA) Trends
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 20.24% when living on campus and 19.33% when living off campus at South Carolina Colleges.
In private South Carolina Colleges, the COA has increase by 20.82% (on-campus) and 19.82% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2023-2024, the total cost of attendance is $44,681 when a student lives on campus and $45,009 when living off campus at South Carolina Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for South Carolina Colleges over the past 10 years.
Cost of Attendance (COA) Trends of South Carolina Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| 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 |
|---|
| 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% |
|---|
Books & Supplies Costs Changes
For the current year (2024), the average book & supplies costs is $1,540 for South Carolina Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2015 to 2024.
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% |
|---|