More selective than 28% 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 $30,015. College Scorecard.
Higher than 18% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 20% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 15% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 9% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
South Carolina State University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 9,830 applicants, South Carolina State University admitted 8,034 and 1,079 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
South Carolina State 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 South Carolina State University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of South Carolina State University took 4.7 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 | $16,846 | $78,671 | 16.6 years |
| $30–48k | $16,968 | $79,241 | 16.7 years |
| $48–75k | $20,449 | $95,497 | more than 20 years |
| $75–110k | $22,587 | $105,481 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $24,523 | $114,522 | more than 20 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.7 years, the average time graduates took (14% 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 ($38,262) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $4,746 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.
South Carolina State University majors, earnings & careers
South Carolina State University offers 42 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 7
- Business & Finance · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at South Carolina State University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences | $66,821 | $31,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | $63,129 | — |
| Business Administration | $48,108 | $32,000 |
| Criminal Justice | $45,061 | $31,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $41,075 | $31,841 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences | $40,050 | $34,625 |
| Biology | $37,940 | $31,000 |
| Communications | $33,586 | $31,452 |
Quick list of all 42 majors
- Accounting—
- Agricultural Business—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biology$37,940
- Business Administration$48,108
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Civil Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Communications$33,586
- Computer and Information Sciences$66,821
- Criminal Justice$45,061
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)$41,075
- Electrical / Electronic Engineering Technologies / Technicians—
- Engineering-Related Technologies / Technicians—
- English—
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$40,050
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- History—
- Industrial Engineering—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians—
- Information Technology—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$63,129
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering—
- Nuclear Engineering—
- Nursing—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
- Speech-Language Pathology / Communication Disorders—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
— 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 →Education (Subject Teaching) → High school teacher
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to shrink 0.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Communications → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Orangeburg
2 bedrooms $906.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 50 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: hurricane (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Orangeburg County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Orangeburg County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare South Carolina State 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina State University | 83% | $18,097 | 37% | $38,262 | This school |
| University of South Carolina Aiken | 79% | $11,641 | 40% | $45,603 | |
| Francis Marion University | 86% | $11,386 | 43% | $43,888 | |
| Lander University | 81% | $15,363 | 50% | $42,396 | |
| University of South Carolina Beaufort | 73% | $14,656 | 34% | $48,088 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
South Carolina State University would cost you $6,456 more per year than University of South Carolina Aiken, on average.
- Higher sticker price at South Carolina State University, mostly from a higher estimate for personal & travel costs (+$4,900).
- South Carolina State University gives aided families $2,019 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Carolina resident | South Carolina State University | University of South Carolina Aiken | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,060 | $10,760 | +$300 |
| Books & supplies | $2,000 | $1,240 | +$760 |
| Housing & meals | $9,000 | $8,736 | +$264 |
| Personal & travel | $8,000 | $3,100 | +$4,900 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$45 | −$2,296 | +$2,251 |
| Sticker price | $30,015 | $21,540 | +$8,475 |
| Average grants | −$11,918 | −$9,899 | −$2,019 |
| You pay | $18,097 | $11,641 | +$6,456 |
“+” means South Carolina State 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 South Carolina State University
What is the South Carolina State University acceptance rate?
South Carolina State University accepts 83% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 8,034 of 9,830 applicants were admitted.
How much does South Carolina State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $30,015 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,097 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $16,846 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,523.
How much do South Carolina State University graduates earn?
Former South Carolina State University students earn a median $38,262 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the South Carolina State University graduation rate?
37% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 56% return for their second year.
How long does a South Carolina State University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at South Carolina State University costs about $95,497 after grants ($20,449 a year for 4.7 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $38,262 ten years after starting, $4,746 more than high school graduates in South Carolina ($33,516), so repaying the cost would take more than 20 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: “South Carolina State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/south-carolina-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).