Government Accredited Online Colleges in South Carolina
South Carolina first began its debates about how it can handle distance education and online degree programs back in 1998. At the time, the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education elected to approve an initiative that would help higher education reach the digital age along with other stages. Since then, South Carolina has dedicated itself to improving digital learning starting in seventh grade. Additionally, many of the colleges and universities in South Carolina began to offer online education opportunities. For example, the University of South Carolina offers education, public health and engineering undergraduate and graduate online degree programs.
In recent years, the cost of tuition in South Carolina colleges have increased significantly. Two year public schools saw an increase of 31 percent for tuition starting in 2004. At four year public schools, the increase was bigger, rounding out at 37.6 percent. The inflation of these numbers is partly due to the massive decrease in higher education budget; between the years of 2008 and 2014, South Carolina decreased its higher education budget by 41.6 percent, nearly cutting it in half and marking the third highest cut in the country.
In spite of the cost of tuition rising all around South Carolina, enrollment at such colleges and universities has been booming. There was a 28 percent increase from 2002 to 2012 in both two and four year colleges, passing by the nationwide average of 19 percent. South Carolina has high graduation rates at 61.5 percent as well, retaining 78 percent of first-year students.
College Name | City | Enrollment (est.) | Net Cost | Degree Programs | School Type | Website |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aiken Technical College | Graniteville | N/A | $3,873 | Associates Degree, Certificate | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Anderson University | Anderson | 2,969 | $20,820 | Doctoral Degree, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Bob Jones University | Greenville | 3,270 | $12,820 | Doctoral Degree, Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Certificate, Post-Masters Certificate | Private for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Central Carolina Technical College | Sumter | N/A | $4,361 | Associates Degree, Certificate | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Charleston Southern University | Charleston | 3,326 | $22,050 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Citadel Military College of South Carolina | Charleston | 3,602 | $150 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Post-Masters Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
Claflin University | Orangeburg | 1,971 | $14,640 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Clemson University | Clemson | 21,323 | $12,230 | Doctoral Degree, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Certificate, Post-Bachelors Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
Coastal Carolina University | Conway | 9,433 | $9,680 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Post-Bachelors Certificate, Post-Masters Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
Coker College | Hartsville | 1,104 | $24,579 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
College of Charleston | Charleston | 11,710 | $70 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Post-Bachelors Certificate, Post-Masters Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
Columbia College | Columbia | 1,099 | $26,350 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Columbia International University | Columbia | 1,147 | $18,390 | Doctoral Degree, Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Certificate, Post-Bachelors Certificate, Post-Masters Certificate | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Converse College | Spartanburg | 1,269 | $28,124 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Post-Masters Certificate | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Erskine College | Due West | 801 | $29,310 | Doctoral Degree, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Certificate | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Florence-Darlington Technical College | Florence | N/A | $3,930 | Associates Degree, Certificate | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Francis Marion University | Florence | 4,018 | $8,978 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Post-Masters Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
Greenville Technical College | Greenville | N/A | $4,080 | Associates Degree, Certificate | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Horry-Georgetown Technical College | Conway | N/A | $4,236 | Associates Degree, Certificate | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Lander University | Greenwood | 2,934 | $9,200 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
Limestone College | Gaffney | 3,296 | $22,080 | Masters Degree, Bachelors Degree, Associates Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Medical University of South Carolina | Charleston | 2,793 | Unknown | Masters Degree, Doctoral Degree, Bachelors Degree, Post-Masters Certificate, Post-Bachelors Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
Midlands Technical College | West Columbia | N/A | $4,536 | Certificate, Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Miller-Motte Technical College-Conway | Conway | N/A | $9,072 | Certificate, Associates Degree | Private for-profit, 2-year | Visit |
Miller-Motte Technical College-North Charleston | Charleston | N/A | $10,260 | Certificate, Associates Degree | Private for-profit, 2-year | Visit |
Newberry College | Newberry | N/A | $22,050 | Bachelors Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
North Greenville University | Tigerville | 2,514 | $14,772 | Masters Degree, Doctoral Degree, Bachelors Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Northeastern Technical College | Cheraw | N/A | $3,720 | Certificate, Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College | Orangeburg | N/A | $4,632 | Certificate, Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Piedmont Technical College | Greenwood | N/A | $4,008 | Certificate, Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Presbyterian College | Clinton | 1,460 | $30,990 | Doctoral Degree, Bachelors Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
South Carolina State University | Orangeburg | 3,416 | $8,906 | Masters Degree, Doctoral Degree, Bachelors Degree, Post-Bachelors Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
South University-Columbia | Columbia | 1,621 | $16,185 | Masters Degree, Doctoral Degree, Bachelors Degree, Associates Degree | Private for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Southern Wesleyan University | Central | 1,733 | $21,600 | Masters Degree, Bachelors Degree, Associates Degree | Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Spartanburg Community College | Spartanburg | N/A | $4,730 | Certificate, Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Spartanburg Methodist College | Spartanburg | N/A | $14,882 | Associates Degree | Private not-for-profit, 2-year | Visit |
Strayer University-South Carolina | Greenville | 2,133 | $15,300 | Masters Degree, Bachelors Degree, Certificate, Associates Degree, Post-Bachelors Certificate | Private for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Technical College of the Lowcountry | Beaufort | N/A | $4,344 | Certificate, Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
The Art Institute of Charleston | Charleston | N/A | $17,496 | Bachelors Degree, Certificate, Associates Degree | Private for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
Tri-County Technical College | Pendleton | N/A | $4,728 | Certificate, Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Trident Technical College | Charleston | N/A | $4,108 | Associates Degree, Certificate | Public, 2-year | Visit |
University of Phoenix-Columbia Campus | Columbia | N/A | $9,471 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree | Private for-profit, 4-year or above | Visit |
University of South Carolina-Aiken | Aiken | 3,278 | $9,018 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
University of South Carolina-Beaufort | Bluffton | N/A | $8,586 | Associates Degree, Bachelors Degree | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
University of South Carolina-Columbia | Columbia | 32,020 | $10,416 | Doctoral Degree, Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Post-Bachelors Certificate, Post-Masters Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
University of South Carolina-Lancaster | Lancaster | N/A | $6,090 | Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie | Allendale | N/A | $6,090 | Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
University of South Carolina-Sumter | Sumter | N/A | $6,090 | Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
University of South Carolina-Union | Union | N/A | $6,090 | Associates Degree | Public, 2-year | Visit |
Winthrop University | Rock Hill | 6,194 | $13,430 | Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, Certificate, Post-Bachelors Certificate, Post-Masters Certificate | Public, 4-year or above | Visit |
York Technical College | Rock Hill | N/A | $3,996 | Associates Degree, Certificate | Public, 2-year | Visit |