List of 37 best universities in South Carolina

Updated: March 02, 2025

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 7.92M citations received by 265K academic publications made by 37 universities from South Carolina, the popularity of 1,185 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: 61%
Average SAT: 1280
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 95%

2. Clemson University

Clemson

#109 in the United States

#124 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 84%

3. Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston

#165 in the United States

#190 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Enrollment: 3,117
Male:Female: 28:72
Founded: 1824

4. College of Charleston

Charleston

#303 in the United States

#334 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1215
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 87%

5. Furman

Greenville

#432 in the United States

#479 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Average SAT: 1343
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $32,901

6. Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston

#470 in the United States

#517 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Average SAT: 1165
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 89%

7. Coastal Carolina University

Conway

#556 in the United States

#609 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 94%

8. Anderson University - South Carolina

Anderson

#558 in the United States

#611 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $22,222

9. Winthrop University

Rock Hill

#589 in the United States

#645 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1115
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 100%

10. South Carolina State University

Orangeburg

#833 in the United States

#901 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $12,130
Enrollment: 3,041

11. University of South Carolina - Aiken

Aiken

#886 in the United States

#954 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 20
Receiving Aid: 99%

12. University of South Carolina - Upstate

Spartanburg

#906 in the United States

#974 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 98%

13. Wofford College

Spartanburg

#907 in the United States

#975 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $31,061

14. University of South Carolina - Beaufort

Bluffton

#1037 in the United States

#1109 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $7,735
Enrollment: 2,121

15. Lander University

Greenwood

#1053 in the United States

#1126 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1060
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 99%

16. Francis Marion University

Florence

#1075 in the United States

#1148 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1019
Average ACT: 20
Receiving Aid: 100%

17. Presbyterian College

Clinton

#1080 in the United States

#1153 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1180
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $20,058

18. Claflin University

Orangeburg

#1085 in the United States

#1158 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Net Price: $21,232
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $12,306

19. Columbia College - South Carolina

Columbia

#1139 in the United States

#1214 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Net Price: $23,920
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $13,961

20. Benedict College

Columbia

#1184 in the United States

#1260 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 915
Average ACT: 17
Net Price: $18,146

21. Bob Jones University

Greenville

#1257 in the United States

#1334 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $19,773
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $14,764

22. Charleston Southern University

Charleston

#1282 in the United States

#1359 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1055
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $21,347

23. Converse College

Spartanburg

#1301 in the United States

#1379 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average SAT: 1134
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $19,438

24. Newberry College

Newberry

#1426 in the United States

#1507 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 940
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $20,941

25. Voorhees College

Denmark

#1475 in the United States

#1559 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $15,747
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $10,086

26. Limestone College

Gaffney

#1504 in the United States

#1588 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Net Price: $21,177
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $19,792

27. Erskine College

Due West

#1551 in the United States

#1637 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Net Price: $21,982
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $32,409

28. Columbia International University

Columbia

#1607 in the United States

#1693 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Net Price: $21,320
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $18,883

29. Coker College

Hartsville

#1639 in the United States

#1726 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Net Price: $18,910
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $25,453

30. Allen University

Columbia

#1656 in the United States

#1743 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 32%
Net Price: $11,058
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $13,755

31. North Greenville University

Tigerville

#1673 in the United States

#1760 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $20,264

32. Sherman College of Chiropractic

Spartanburg

#1696 in the United States

#1783 in North America

Enrollment: 381
Male:Female: 45:55

33. Southern Wesleyan University

Central

#1733 in the United States

#1821 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Average SAT: 1090
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $20,336

34. Charleston School of Law

Charleston

#1789 in the United States

#1878 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Enrollment: 675
Male:Female: 32:68

35. Morris College

Sumter

#1909 in the United States

#2001 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $20,397
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $9,189

36. Clinton College

Rock Hill

#2263 in the United States

#2363 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $13,418
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $9,859

37. W L Bonner College

Columbia

#2422 in the United States

#2523 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	50
Kentucky	38	61
Alabama	33	85
West Virginia	26	110
District of Columbia	15	55
Florida	109	23
Maryland	34	9
Ohio	90	18
Delaware	5	90
Indiana	55	32
Pennsylvania	155	12
Mississippi	18	132
New Jersey	47	21
Illinois	100	15
Arkansas	24	127
Louisiana	27	79
Connecticut	28	10
New York	221	4
Missouri	67	39
Rhode Island	12	49
Michigan	62	3
Massachusetts	88	1
Vermont	17	111
Iowa	39	48
Wisconsin	47	13
New Hampshire	16	77
Oklahoma	31	96
Kansas	32	72
Maine	19	153
Minnesota	48	14
Texas	119	26
Nebraska	23	68
South Dakota	15	234
North Dakota	14	182
Colorado	38	44
Puerto Rico	52	360
New Mexico	12	82
US Virgin Islands	1	796
Wyoming	1	144
Utah	20	41
Arizona	25	34
Montana	12	154
Idaho	10	147
Nevada	10	131
California	249	2
Oregon	31	63
Washington	57	8
Alaska	6	177
Hawaii	10	159
American Samoa	1	1705
Northern Mariana Islands	1	1596
Guam	2	616

Closest to South Carolina states