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

#89 in the United States

#101 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1280
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 95%

2. Clemson University

Clemson

#102 in the United States

#117 in North America

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

3. Medical University of South Carolina

Charleston

#167 in the United States

#192 in North America

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

4. College of Charleston

Charleston

#294 in the United States

#325 in North America

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

5. Furman

Greenville

#436 in the United States

#482 in North America

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

6. Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston

#473 in the United States

#521 in North America

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

7. Coastal Carolina University

Conway

#536 in the United States

#588 in North America

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

8. Anderson University - South Carolina

Anderson

#566 in the United States

#620 in North America

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

9. Winthrop University

Rock Hill

#602 in the United States

#659 in North America

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

10. South Carolina State University

Orangeburg

#859 in the United States

#927 in North America

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

11. University of South Carolina - Upstate

Spartanburg

#861 in the United States

#929 in North America

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

12. Wofford College

Spartanburg

#863 in the United States

#931 in North America

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

13. University of South Carolina - Aiken

Aiken

#924 in the United States

#992 in North America

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

14. University of South Carolina - Beaufort

Bluffton

#1041 in the United States

#1113 in North America

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

15. Columbia College - South Carolina

Columbia

#1046 in the United States

#1118 in North America

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

16. Lander University

Greenwood

#1058 in the United States

#1131 in North America

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

17. Claflin University

Orangeburg

#1060 in the United States

#1133 in North America

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

18. Francis Marion University

Florence

#1071 in the United States

#1144 in North America

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

19. Presbyterian College

Clinton

#1094 in the United States

#1168 in North America

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

20. Benedict College

Columbia

#1183 in the United States

#1259 in North America

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

21. Charleston Southern University

Charleston

#1196 in the United States

#1272 in North America

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

22. Bob Jones University

Greenville

#1252 in the United States

#1330 in North America

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

23. Converse College

Spartanburg

#1298 in the United States

#1376 in North America

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

24. Newberry College

Newberry

#1424 in the United States

#1503 in North America

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

25. Voorhees College

Denmark

#1451 in the United States

#1534 in North America

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

26. Limestone College

Gaffney

#1496 in the United States

#1580 in North America

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

27. Erskine College

Due West

#1543 in the United States

#1629 in North America

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

28. North Greenville University

Tigerville

#1611 in the United States

#1697 in North America

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

29. Columbia International University

Columbia

#1629 in the United States

#1715 in North America

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

30. Coker College

Hartsville

#1636 in the United States

#1722 in North America

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

31. Allen University

Columbia

#1640 in the United States

#1726 in North America

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

32. Southern Wesleyan University

Central

#1684 in the United States

#1771 in North America

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

33. Sherman College of Chiropractic

Spartanburg

#1721 in the United States

#1809 in North America

Enrollment: 381
Male:Female: 45:55

34. Charleston School of Law

Charleston

#1780 in the United States

#1869 in North America

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

35. Morris College

Sumter

#1881 in the United States

#1971 in North America

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

36. Clinton College

Rock Hill

#2242 in the United States

#2342 in North America

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

37. W L Bonner College

Columbia

#2428 in the United States

#2529 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	63
Alabama	33	87
West Virginia	26	105
District of Columbia	15	55
Florida	109	23
Maryland	34	9
Ohio	90	18
Delaware	5	82
Indiana	55	33
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	49
Michigan	62	3
Massachusetts	88	1
Vermont	17	111
Iowa	39	48
Wisconsin	47	13
New Hampshire	16	76
Oklahoma	31	99
Kansas	32	74
Maine	19	154
Minnesota	48	14
Texas	119	26
Nebraska	23	64
South Dakota	15	232
North Dakota	14	177
Colorado	38	44
Puerto Rico	52	367
New Mexico	12	84
US Virgin Islands	1	790
Wyoming	1	146
Utah	20	41
Arizona	25	35
Montana	12	145
Idaho	10	149
Nevada	10	129
California	249	2
Oregon	31	60
Washington	57	8
Alaska	6	181
Hawaii	10	159
American Samoa	1	1689
Northern Mariana Islands	1	1585
Guam	2	601

Closest to South Carolina states