There are 56 colleges and universities in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The University of South Carolina in Columbia is the largest university in the state, by enrollment. Trident Technical College in North Charleston is the largest two-year college. The oldest institution is the College of Charleston, founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785.

The majority of colleges and universities in South Carolina are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). There are eight historically black colleges and universities.

The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia and the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville are the only medical schools in the state accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

Charleston School of Law and the University of South Carolina School of Law are American Bar Association (ABA) approved law schools.

Institutions Four-year + List of four-year colleges and universities in South Carolina School Location(s) Control TypeSchool types are based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.Enrollment(Fall 2024) Founded Accreditation Allen UniversityColumbiaPrivate(A.M.E Church) Special Focus: Arts and Sciences610 1870 SACS Anderson University Anderson Private(Baptist) Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate4,710 1911 SACS Benedict College Columbia Private(Baptist) Baccalaureate1,691 1870 SACS Bob Jones University Greenville Private(Nondenominational Christian) Baccalaureate2,734 1927 TRACS, SACS Charleston School of Law Charleston Private Special Focus: Law 692 2003 ABA Charleston Southern University North Charleston Private(Baptist) Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate3,832 1964 SACS Charleston Public Undergraduate/Graduate-Master's3,793 1842 SACS Claflin University Orangeburg Private(Methodist) Special Focus: Arts and Sciences1,852 1869 SACS Clemson University Clemson Public Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate (R1)29,077 1889 SACS Clinton College Rock Hill Private(AME Zion) Special Focus: Business126 1894 TRACS Coastal Carolina University Conway Public Undergraduate/Graduate-Master's (Research)11,348 1954 SACS Coker University Hartsville Private Baccalaureate1,325 1908 SACS College of Charleston Charleston Public Undergraduate/Graduate-Master's (Research)11,926 1770 SACS Columbia College Columbia Private(Methodist) Undergraduate/Graduate-Master's1,725 1854 SACS Columbia International University Columbia Private(Interdenominational) Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate2,914 1923 SACS Converse University Spartanburg Private Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate1,787 1890 SACS Erskine College Due West Private(Presbyterian) Baccalaureate912 1839 SACS Francis Marion University Florence Public Baccalaureate4,112 1970 SACSFurman University Greenville Private Special Focus: Arts and Sciences2,554 1826 SACS Lander University Greenwood Public Baccalaureate4,378 1872 SACS Medical University of South Carolina Charleston Public Special Focus: Medical Schools and Centers (R1)3,246 1824 SACS Morris College Sumter Private(Baptist) Baccalaureate383 1908 SACS Newberry College Newberry Private(Lutheran) Baccalaureate1,536 1856 SACS North Greenville University Tigerville Private(Baptist) Baccalaureate2,304 1891 SACS Presbyterian College Clinton Private(Presbyterian) Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate1,095 1880 SACS Sherman College of Chiropractic Spartanburg Private Special Focus: Other Health Professions387 1973 CCE South Carolina State University Orangeburg Public Baccalaureate (R2)3,242 1896 SACS Southern Wesleyan University Central Private(Wesleyan) Baccalaureate980 1906 SACS Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg Private(Methodist) Associate/Baccalaureate1,119 1911 SACS University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken Public Undergraduate/Graduate-Master's4,022 1961 SACS University of South Carolina Beaufort Beaufort Public Baccalaureate2,208 1959 SACS University of South Carolina Columbia (Main campus) Columbia Public Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate (R1)38,532 1801 SACS University of South Carolina Upstate Spartanburg Public Baccalaureate4,916 1967 SACS Voorhees University Denmark Private(Episcopal) Baccalaureate578 1897 SACS Winthrop University Rock Hill Public Undergraduate/Graduate-Master's (Research)4,894 1886 SACS Wofford College Spartanburg Private(Methodist) Special Focus: Arts and Sciences1,817 1854 SACS

Two-year

+ List of two-year colleges and universities in South Carolina School Location(s) Control TypeSchool types are based on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Enrollment(Fall 2024) Founded Accreditation Aiken Technical College Aiken Public Associate's college 2,307 1972 SACS Central Carolina Technical College Sumter Public Associate's college 2,825 1962 SACS Denmark Technical College Denmark Public Associate's college 675 1947 SACS Florence–Darlington Technical College Florence Public Associate's college 3,522 1963 SACS Greenville Technical College Greenville Public Associate's college 11,999 1962 SACS Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway Public Associate's college 7,923 1966 SACS Midlands Technical College West Columbia Public Associate's college 9,226 1973 SACS Northeastern Technical College Cheraw Public Associate's college 1,428 1968 SACS Orangeburg–Calhoun Technical College Orangeburg Public Associate's college 2,106 1968 SACS Piedmont Technical College Greenwood Public Associate's college 5,143 1966 SACS Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg Public Associate's college 6,653 1963 SACS Technical College of the Lowcountry Beaufort Public Associate's college 2,461 1868 SACS Tri-County Technical College Pendleton Public Associate's college 5,890 1962 SACS Trident Technical College North Charleston Public Associate's college 13,552 1964 SACS University of South Carolina Lancaster Lancaster Public Associate's college 2,687 1959 SACS University of South Carolina Salkehatchie Allendale Public Associate's college 799 1965 SACS University of South Carolina Sumter Sumter Public Associate's college 1,845 1966 SACS University of South Carolina Union Union Public Associate's college 1,402 1965 SACS Williamsburg Technical College Kingstree Public Associate's college 668 1969 SACS York Technical College Rock Hill Public Associate's college 4,771 1964 SACS

Defunct colleges The Arsenal, Columbia, sister school of The Citadel. The only surviving building is now the South Carolina Governor's Mansion. (1842 to 1865, destroyed during the Civil War) Chicora College, Columbia (1893 to 1930, merged with Queens College) Due West Female College, Due West (1859 to 1927, merged with Erskine College) Friendship College, Rock Hill (1891 to 1981, closed) Limestone University, Gaffney (1845 to 2025, closed) South Carolina Female Collegiate Institute, Columbia (1828 to 1867, closed)

Out-of-state non-profit institutions Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine has a campus in Spartanburg

Out-of-state for-profit institutions Schools based in other states offer programs at locations in South Carolina: ECPI University has campuses in Charleston, Columbia, and Greenville South University has a campus in Columbia Strayer University has campuses in Charleston and Greenville

See also

Higher education in the United States List of college athletic programs in South Carolina List of American institutions of higher education List of recognized higher education accreditation organizations List of colleges and universities List of colleges and universities by country

Notes

References

External links Department of Education listing of accredited institutions in South Carolina