List of 37 best universities in South Carolina

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Top 37 universities in South Carolina ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 8.35M citations received by 273K academic publications made by 37 universities from South Carolina, the popularity of 1,237 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia

#88 in the United States

#100 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1270
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 94%

2. Clemson University

Clemson

#102 in the United States

#117 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Average SAT: 1325
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 86%

3. Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston

#165 in the United States

#189 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Enrollment: 3,246
Male:Female: 27:73
Founded: 1824

4. College of Charleston

Charleston

#300 in the United States

#332 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 95%

5. Furman

Greenville

#439 in the United States

#486 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Average SAT: 1345
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $34,086

6. Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston

#487 in the United States

#536 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 90%

7. Coastal Carolina University

Conway

#531 in the United States

#583 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

8. Winthrop University

Rock Hill

#604 in the United States

#661 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1115
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 99%

9. Anderson University - South Carolina

Anderson

#615 in the United States

#674 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $24,434

10. South Carolina State University

Orangeburg

#790 in the United States

#858 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $11,579
Enrollment: 3,242

11. Wofford College

Spartanburg

#825 in the United States

#893 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Average SAT: 1271
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $30,481

12. University of South Carolina - Aiken

Aiken

#921 in the United States

#993 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1100
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 96%

13. Claflin University

Orangeburg

#1001 in the United States

#1074 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Net Price: $17,272
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $16,596

14. University of South Carolina - Upstate

Spartanburg

#1003 in the United States

#1076 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1090
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

15. Francis Marion University

Florence

#1053 in the United States

#1127 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 993
Average ACT: 20
Receiving Aid: 98%

16. University of South Carolina - Beaufort

Bluffton

#1061 in the United States

#1135 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $8,692
Enrollment: 2,208

17. Lander University

Greenwood

#1078 in the United States

#1153 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1064
Average ACT: 20
Receiving Aid: 99%

18. Presbyterian College

Clinton

#1095 in the United States

#1170 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1090
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $20,840

19. Benedict College

Columbia

#1132 in the United States

#1207 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Net Price: $18,665
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $13,335

20. Charleston Southern University

Charleston

#1193 in the United States

#1270 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1045
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $21,080

21. Columbia College - South Carolina

Columbia

#1213 in the United States

#1290 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Net Price: $18,790
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $16,451

22. Bob Jones University

Greenville

#1253 in the United States

#1331 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $19,624
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $17,161

23. Converse College

Spartanburg

#1277 in the United States

#1355 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $19,061

24. Newberry College

Newberry

#1419 in the United States

#1503 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Net Price: $21,943
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $24,461

25. Erskine College

Due West

#1488 in the United States

#1574 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Net Price: $23,882
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $31,174

26. Limestone College

Gaffney

#1496 in the United States

#1582 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Net Price: $19,369
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $21,504

27. Voorhees College

Denmark

#1583 in the United States

#1669 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $13,307
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $12,239

28. Columbia International University

Columbia

#1585 in the United States

#1671 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Net Price: $26,056
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $17,009

29. Coker College

Hartsville

#1589 in the United States

#1676 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Net Price: $19,823
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $26,449

30. Allen University

Columbia

#1606 in the United States

#1693 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Net Price: $11,182
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $12,927

31. North Greenville University

Tigerville

#1619 in the United States

#1706 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $21,346

32. Sherman College of Chiropractic

Spartanburg

#1658 in the United States

#1745 in North America

Enrollment: 387
Male:Female: 46:54

33. Southern Wesleyan University

Central

#1672 in the United States

#1760 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Average SAT: 1125
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $20,134

34. Charleston School of Law

Charleston

#1762 in the United States

#1851 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Enrollment: 692
Male:Female: 31:69

35. Morris College

Sumter

#1852 in the United States

#1943 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $19,180
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $10,968

36. Clinton College

Rock Hill

#2191 in the United States

#2290 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $11,159
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $13,856

37. W L Bonner College

Columbia

#2407 in the United States

#2508 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
North Carolina	65	24
Georgia	63	47
Virginia	63	40
Tennessee	56	48
Kentucky	38	59
Alabama	33	85
West Virginia	26	108
District of Columbia	15	51
Florida	109	23
Maryland	34	9
Ohio	90	18
Delaware	5	90
Indiana	55	34
Pennsylvania	155	12
Mississippi	18	132
New Jersey	47	21
Illinois	100	15
Arkansas	24	128
Louisiana	27	79
Connecticut	28	10
New York	221	4
Missouri	67	39
Rhode Island	12	50
Michigan	62	3
Massachusetts	88	1
Vermont	17	114
Iowa	39	49
Wisconsin	47	13
New Hampshire	16	74
Oklahoma	31	97
Kansas	32	73
Maine	19	155
Minnesota	48	14
Texas	119	26
Nebraska	23	64
South Dakota	15	223
North Dakota	14	180
Colorado	38	45
Puerto Rico	52	366
New Mexico	12	83
US Virgin Islands	1	789
Wyoming	1	142
Utah	20	41
Arizona	25	35
Montana	12	153
Idaho	10	146
Nevada	10	131
California	249	2
Oregon	31	61
Washington	57	8
Alaska	6	182
Hawaii	10	357
American Samoa	1	1625
Northern Mariana Islands	1	1521
Guam	2	623

Closest to South Carolina states