More selective than 24% of South Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $23,850. College Scorecard.
Higher than 38% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 31% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 47% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 22% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Francis Marion University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,489 applicants, Francis Marion University admitted 2,869 and 632 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 870–1115 on the SAT or 16–24 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Francis Marion University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for South Carolina residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Francis Marion University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Francis Marion University took 4.5 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in South Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,723 | $43,559 | 4.2 years |
| $30–48k | $9,449 | $42,332 | 4.1 years |
| $48–75k | $11,582 | $51,887 | 5.0 years |
| $75–110k | $13,788 | $61,770 | 6.0 years |
| $110k+ | $17,435 | $78,109 | 7.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.5 years, the average time graduates took (27% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($43,888) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $10,372 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Francis Marion University majors, earnings & careers
Francis Marion University offers 35 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 7
- Science & Math · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Engineering · 3
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Francis Marion University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $72,580 | $29,250 |
| Accounting | $58,797 | $28,375 |
| Business Administration | $51,522 | $28,750 |
| Biology | $51,447 | $28,952 |
| Health Administration | $51,005 | $31,000 |
| Political Science | $44,803 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | $41,125 | $30,125 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $40,933 | $29,000 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting$58,797
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biology$51,447
- Business Administration$51,522
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Economics—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$40,933
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering / Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians, Other—
- English$40,098
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- Forestry—
- Health Administration$51,005
- History—
- Industrial Engineering—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing$41,125
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Nursing$72,580
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration—
- Physics—
- Political Science$44,803
- Psychology$37,288
- Sociology$36,995
- Studio Art$29,602
- Theatre—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Florence
Overall prices in the Florence, SC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,121. Housing costs 48% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 45 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high); tornado (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Florence County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Florence County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Francis Marion University with similar schools
Similar public colleges in South Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Francis Marion University | 86% | $11,386 | 43% | $43,888 | This school |
| South Carolina State University | 83% | $18,097 | 37% | $38,262 | |
| University of South Carolina Aiken | 79% | $11,641 | 40% | $45,603 | |
| Lander University | 81% | $15,363 | 50% | $42,396 | |
| Winthrop University | 79% | $15,343 | 57% | $47,185 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Francis Marion University would cost you $6,711 less per year than South Carolina State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Francis Marion University, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$3,766).
- Francis Marion University gives aided families $546 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Carolina resident | Francis Marion University | South Carolina State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,160 | $11,060 | +$100 |
| Books & supplies | $1,198 | $2,000 | −$802 |
| Housing & meals | $8,898 | $9,000 | −$102 |
| Personal & travel | $4,234 | $8,000 | −$3,766 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,640 | −$45 | −$1,595 |
| Sticker price | $23,850 | $30,015 | −$6,165 |
| Average grants | −$12,464 | −$11,918 | −$546 |
| You pay | $11,386 | $18,097 | −$6,711 |
“+” means Francis Marion University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Francis Marion University
What is the Francis Marion University acceptance rate?
Francis Marion University accepts 86% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,869 of 3,489 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 870–1115 on the SAT or 16–24 on the ACT.
How much does Francis Marion University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $23,850 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $11,386 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $9,723 and families earning $110k+ pay $17,435.
How much do Francis Marion University graduates earn?
Former Francis Marion University students earn a median $43,888 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Francis Marion University graduation rate?
43% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 70% return for their second year.
How long does a Francis Marion University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Francis Marion University costs about $51,887 after grants ($11,582 a year for 4.5 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $43,888 ten years after starting, $10,372 more than high school graduates in South Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 5.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Francis Marion University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/francis-marion-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).