University of South Carolina Beaufort

University of South Carolina Beaufort is a less selective public university in Bluffton, South Carolina. It admits most applicants, graduates 34% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $48,088 ten years after starting college, more than 71% of the South Carolina colleges we cover.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Acceptance rate
73%

More selective than 52% of South Carolina colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$14,656 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $24,353. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
34%

Higher than 15% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 17% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$48,088

Higher than 71% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 35% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

University of South Carolina Beaufort acceptance rate & admissions

Of 2,745 applicants, University of South Carolina Beaufort admitted 1,899 and 503 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).

2,745
Applied
1,899
Admitted
503
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

First-year students who return61%
Pell Grant recipients40%
First-generation students31%
Women / men67% / 33%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

University of South Carolina Beaufort 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)

Tuition & fees, in-state$10,730
Tuition & fees, out-of-state$21,776
Housing & meals, on campus$9,810
Books & supplies$1,266
Total cost of attendance, in-state$24,353

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$13,750
Loan default rate8.0%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

What University of South Carolina Beaufort costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of University of South Carolina Beaufort took 4.3 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 incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$11,397$48,8933.4 years
$30–48k$10,614$45,5343.1 years
$48–75k$13,846$59,3994.1 years
$75–110k$19,001$81,5145.6 years
$110k+$20,250$86,8736.0 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (29% 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 ($48,088) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $14,572 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.

Best-value colleges in South Carolina for your income →

University of South Carolina Beaufort majors, earnings & careers

University of South Carolina Beaufort offers 18 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Humanities & Languages · 4
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 3
  • Business & Finance · 2
  • Health & Medicine · 2
  • Science & Math · 2
  • Technology & Computing · 2
  • Arts & Design · 1
  • Communications & Media · 1
  • Education · 1

Highest-earning majors at University of South Carolina Beaufort

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Nursing$70,311$27,000
Business Administration$56,852$27,000
Psychology$50,776$27,000
Communications$49,545$28,500
Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,705$27,750
Hospitality Management$45,953$23,989
Biology$45,680$26,000
Social Sciences$44,888$37,500
Quick list of all 18 majors
  • Biology$45,680
  • Business Administration$56,852
  • Communications$49,545
  • Computational Science—
  • Computer and Information Sciences—
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,705
  • English—
  • History—
  • Hospitality Management$45,953
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Mathematics—
  • Nursing$70,311
  • Psychology$50,776
  • Public Health—
  • Social Sciences$44,888
  • Sociology—
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Studio Art—

— 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 →

Business Administration → Management analyst

$119,430
Hilton Head Island
$100,660
South Carolina
$101,860
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Hospitality Management → Lodging manager

$76,940
Hilton Head Island
$62,990
South Carolina
$69,250
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 3.8% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Hilton Head Island

Cost of living
2% below the U.S. average

Overall prices in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,844/mo

2 bedrooms $2,010. Housing costs 1% above the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
61° / 91°

January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively High

Highest: hurricane (very high); coastal flooding (relatively high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Beaufort County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)2,121
First-year students from South Carolina77%
Next most common home statesGeorgia, Pennsylvania, Maryland
AthleticsNAIA Division II · 7 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-24100% bachelor's · 0% associate
Campus typeHighly residential
Student bodyWhite 58% · Black 19% · Hispanic 13% · Two or more 5%International 2%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Beaufort County at a glance

Population195,289
Median household income$86,573
Adults with a bachelor's degree46%
Median age48

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare University of South Carolina Beaufort 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.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
University of South Carolina Beaufort73%$14,65634%$48,088This school
University of South Carolina Aiken79%$11,64140%$45,603
South Carolina State University83%$18,09737%$38,262
Francis Marion University86%$11,38643%$43,888
University of South Carolina-Upstate67%$13,55743%$48,587

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

University of South Carolina Beaufort would cost you $3,015 more per year than University of South Carolina Aiken, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at University of South Carolina Beaufort, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,074).
  • University of South Carolina Aiken gives aided families $202 more in grants, on average.
Per year, South Carolina residentUniversity of South Carolina BeaufortUniversity of South Carolina AikenDifference
Tuition & fees$10,730$10,760−$30
Books & supplies$1,266$1,240+$26
Housing & meals$9,810$8,736+$1,074
Personal & travel$4,055$3,100+$955
Living-at-home adjustment−$1,508−$2,296+$788
Sticker price$24,353$21,540+$2,813
Average grants−$9,697−$9,899+$202
You pay$14,656$11,641+$3,015

“+” means University of South Carolina Beaufort 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 University of South Carolina Beaufort

What is the University of South Carolina Beaufort acceptance rate?

University of South Carolina Beaufort accepts 73% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,899 of 2,745 applicants were admitted.

How much does University of South Carolina Beaufort cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $24,353 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,656 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,397 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,250.

How much do University of South Carolina Beaufort graduates earn?

Former University of South Carolina Beaufort students earn a median $48,088 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the University of South Carolina Beaufort graduation rate?

34% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 61% return for their second year.

How long does a University of South Carolina Beaufort degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of South Carolina Beaufort costs about $59,399 after grants ($13,846 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $48,088 ten years after starting, $14,572 more than high school graduates in South Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

Is University of South Carolina Beaufort the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing University of South Carolina Beaufort with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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: “University of South Carolina Beaufort: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-carolina-beaufort (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).