Online Degree Programs In South Carolina

South Carolina is a fast-growing state, attracting millennials and experienced professionals from all over the country looking for employment, better job prospects or a career change. Between 2010 and 2016 the state’s population increased 7.3 percent — far above the national average. A comfortable climate, a thriving arts and restaurant culture, affordable housing and a job growth rate that is faster than the national average can make this state the perfect spot for meeting your goals for higher education, building a career and even growing a family. Imagine earning a reputed online MBA degree while working part-time and getting to visit South Carolina’s many historical sites, museums, amusement parks, theaters, music venues or hitting its beautiful surf spots.

The government of South Carolina is working hard to build its industries and provide opportunities for employment throughout the state. Robust economic development has led to new businesses being established and the expansion of old ones.

By 2020, 62 percent of jobs in South Carolina will require a postsecondary education, according to projections by the Georgetown Center on Education and the Workforce, so it’s a good thing that South Carolina is home to many top colleges and universities. According to South Carolina’s Department of Employment and Workforce, there appears to be a significant need for graduates at the bachelor’s level in the following fields:

  • Architecture
  • Computer and information science
  • Industrial
  • Civil engineering
  • Mechanical engineering

Higher-paying jobs may be found in fields such as:

  • Diversified manufacturing
  • Health care
  • Construction
  • Business and information technology services
  • Transportation
  • Logistics
  • Wholesale trade

The report also suggests a growing need for qualified STEM majors in the state. Although students of STEM show the fastest median annual wage growth one to five years post-graduation, students of trades and business and communication are not far behind.

A 2017 report, “Employment Outcomes for South Carolina Post-Secondary Graduates,” shows that those who earned a graduate degree enjoyed the highest median earnings while those who earned less than an associate-level degree had the lowest earnings. Students who completed a bachelor’s degree had higher median earnings in 9 out of 12 majors one year post-graduation than those completing an associate degree within the same majors. Five years after graduation, the number increased to 10 out of 12 majors.

Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics, we created a multi-point ranking methodology to determine which colleges do the best job of serving students who want to pursue an online degree program. We factored in metrics such as graduation rate, the amount of financial aid awarded, placement services and the percentage of students participating in distance education to come up with our list.

1
Anderson University
Anderson, SC
https://www.andersonuniversity.edu
Average in-state tuition
$25,140
No. of online programs
21
% of students in distance education
46%
Avg. amount of Aid
$17,232
Admissions Rate
62%
Graduation Rate
59%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
2
Clemson University
Clemson, SC
https://www.clemson.edu
Average in-state tuition
$13,982
No. of online programs
43
% of students in distance education
25%
Avg. amount of Aid
$8,551
Admissions Rate
47%
Graduation Rate
83%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
3
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC
https://www.sc.edu/
Average in-state tuition
$12,216
No. of online programs
10
% of students in distance education
28%
Avg. amount of Aid
$6,499
Admissions Rate
63%
Graduation Rate
77%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
4
College of Charleston
Charleston, SC
https://www.cofc.edu
Average in-state tuition
$70
No. of online programs
0
% of students in distance education
21%
Avg. amount of Aid
$9,584
Admissions Rate
79%
Graduation Rate
71%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
5
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston, SC
https://www.citadel.edu
Average in-state tuition
$75
No. of online programs
11
% of students in distance education
19%
Avg. amount of Aid
$11,878
Admissions Rate
81%
Graduation Rate
72%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
6
Winthrop University
Rock Hill, SC
https://www.winthrop.edu
Average in-state tuition
$15,230
No. of online programs
6
% of students in distance education
37%
Avg. amount of Aid
$11,380
Admissions Rate
67%
Graduation Rate
56%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
7
Columbia College
Columbia, SC
https://www.columbiasc.edu/
Average in-state tuition
$17,811
No. of online programs
4
% of students in distance education
50%
Avg. amount of Aid
$11,251
Admissions Rate
96%
Graduation Rate
53%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
8
Coker College
Hartsville, SC
https://coker.edu0
Average in-state tuition
$29,328
No. of online programs
4
% of students in distance education
43%
Avg. amount of Aid
$17,459
Admissions Rate
63%
Graduation Rate
35%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
9
Southern Wesleyan University
Central, SC
https://www.swu.edu
Average in-state tuition
$24,926
No. of online programs
7
% of students in distance education
67%
Avg. amount of Aid
$13,793
Admissions Rate
54%
Graduation Rate
53%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
10
Limestone College
Gaffney, SC
https://www.limestone.edu
Average in-state tuition
$24,900
No. of online programs
20
% of students in distance education
56%
Avg. amount of Aid
$10,488
Admissions Rate
44%
Graduation Rate
35%
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
11
North Greenville University
Tigerville, SC
Average in-state tuition
$19,750
No. of online programs
18
% of students in distance education
9%
Avg. amount of Aid
$14,218
Admissions Rate
59.6239485403
Graduation Rate
54
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
12
Charleston Southern University
Charleston, SC
Average in-state tuition
$25,500
No. of online programs
16
% of students in distance education
39%
Avg. amount of Aid
$16,189
Admissions Rate
52.0538720539
Graduation Rate
42
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
No
13
Trident Technical College
Charleston, SC
Average in-state tuition
$4,887
No. of online programs
22
% of students in distance education
46%
Avg. amount of Aid
$5,141
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
14
Converse College
Spartanburg, SC
Average in-state tuition
$17,340
No. of online programs
4
% of students in distance education
21%
Avg. amount of Aid
$12,410
Admissions Rate
58.517699115
Graduation Rate
56
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
15
South Carolina State University
Orangeburg, SC
Average in-state tuition
$9,528
No. of online programs
1
% of students in distance education
34%
Avg. amount of Aid
$8,967
Admissions Rate
53.2357247438
Graduation Rate
34
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
16
University of South Carolina-Upstate
Spartanburg, SC
Average in-state tuition
$11,208
No. of online programs
7
% of students in distance education
45%
Avg. amount of Aid
$6,939
Admissions Rate
57.1901510449
Graduation Rate
46
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
17
Lander University
Greenwood, SC
Average in-state tuition
$10,700
No. of online programs
3
% of students in distance education
33%
Avg. amount of Aid
$9,444
Admissions Rate
42.5742574257
Graduation Rate
43
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
18
Columbia International University
Columbia, SC
Average in-state tuition
$22,840
No. of online programs
11
% of students in distance education
44%
Avg. amount of Aid
$13,909
Admissions Rate
33.387888707
Graduation Rate
64
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
19
Piedmont Technical College
Greenwood, SC
Average in-state tuition
$4,920
No. of online programs
8
% of students in distance education
53%
Avg. amount of Aid
$4,282
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
20
Horry-Georgetown Technical College
Conway, SC
Average in-state tuition
$4,944
No. of online programs
4
% of students in distance education
47%
Avg. amount of Aid
$3,900
Admissions Rate
N/A
Graduation Rate
N/A
Career Counseling
Yes
Placement Services
Yes
Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2018-19, National Center for Education Statistics, http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/

So which online degree programs in South Carolina are the most popular? The list below shows the 10 most widely available in the state. If you’re exploring one of these programs (or any program), don’t forget to check whether the program at your target school(s) is accredited. While accredited programs do not guarantee quality, they do indicate that there is oversight regarding the instruction and the school’s authority to issue degrees.

Program Name
No. of online programs
Business Administration and Management, General
23
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
10
Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
8
Business/Commerce, General
8
Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration
7
Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration, General
6
Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
6
Educational Leadership and Administration, General
5
Medical/Clinical Assistant
4
Medical Insurance Coding Specialist/Coder
4

The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education oversees the state’s public postsecondary institutions. It is involved in managing the academic quality of educational programs, helps in funding its schools and in supplying financial aid.

The Commission also oversees distance education programs and has established certain principles to ensure the quality of online degree programs in South Carolina. While the main goal is to make higher education accessible to more students other important principles include:

  • Meeting rigorous academic standards for online education in South Carolina that are comparable to coursework offered by an on-campus program
  • Ongoing accountability that meets the satisfaction of faculty, students, employers and the general public
  • Compatibility of technology to provide the best possible mode of delivery for the type of program offered
  • The individual success of the student

To help execute these principles, the Commission has delineated responsibilities to itself and to the state’s colleges and universities. The Commission collaboratively works with colleges and universities to build a progressive educational policy that meets the demands of an ever-changing educational environment.

Jane C. Owen, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus at Midwestern State University states, “One of the most promising advances regarding online education is the possibility for truly implementing differentiated instruction — tailoring instruction to meet individual needs, learning styles, and information gaps for each student,” she says. “Advances in delivery methods will allow the best of face-to-face instruction to blend with the ease and convenience of asynchronous instruction.”

Students should always be sure that the educational path they choose will truly meet their needs upon graduation. Owen recommends students ask the following questions before enrolling:

  • Is the school credible?
  • Is the program accredited by a recognized accrediting body?
  • Is the school recognized by the education agency in your state?
  • Will credits earned in the online school transfer to a traditional university?
  • Is the curriculum for the program aligned to the national standards for the program area?
  • If you are pursuing a professional degree such as teaching, does the online school have the authority to recommend you to sit for the state certification test in the state in which you intend to practice?

Other factors students might want to consider are academic support services, technological competence, qualifications of teaching faculty and accessibility of teaching professors.

When you’re looking at online degree programs in South Carolina, be aware that campus-based schools may offer online programs under a separate name. For example, the University of South Carolina offers Palmetto College, an online-only option that features more than a dozen bachelor’s degree programs. And Clemson University lists all available online graduate programs in the Clemson Online section of their website.

South Carolina is not just a great place to live, but a great place to work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these jobs are thriving in the Palmetto State.

Occupation
Number of Workers
Median Salary
Office and Administrative Support Occupations276,980$34,130
Sales and Related Occupations228,040$25,580
Food Preparation and Serving Related Occupations216,890$19,810
Production Occupations198,450$36,240
Transportation and Material Moving Occupations191,820$29,280
Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations128,110$59,740
Educational Instruction and Library Occupations111,850$46,900
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations95,290$42,980
Management Occupations93,530$91,430
Construction and Extraction Occupations84,910$39,200
Business and Financial Operations Occupations82,210$60,410
Healthcare Support Occupations76,040$25,660
Fast Food and Counter Workers73,730$18,760
Retail Salespersons71,670$23,530
Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance Occupations70,280$23,770
Cashiers64,700$20,440
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand64,150$27,940
Customer Service Representatives51,510$31,840
Protective Service Occupations48,290$36,270
Miscellaneous Assemblers and Fabricators47,820$33,830

Source: 2019 Occupational Employment Statistics and 2018-28 Employment Projections, Bureau of Labor Statistics, BLS.gov.

Students who qualify can find financial aid through federal, state, institutional and private funds. This aid may come in the form of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs. Knowing where to find financial aid can help lower college costs.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of first-time, full-time undergraduate students at 4-year degree-granting postsecondary institutions awarded financial aid is between 80 to 90 percent for public, for-profit and nonprofit institutes.

Federal

  • Pell grants: This is one of the largest federal grant programs that can be available to undergraduate students based on need.
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). This program can provide need-based grants to lower income students with exceptional financial need.
  • Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program: This grant can be applied to by students who want to become teachers in a high-need field in a low-income area.

Federal financial aid is only available to students who attend accredited schools.

State

  • Palmetto Fellows Scholarship: This scholarship recognizes high school seniors with the highest academic talent. It is designed to encourage high school graduates to attend college.
  • LIFE Scholarship: The Legislative Incentive for Future Excellence (LIFE) Scholarship may cover the cost of attending a college for the first 8 terms in a program leading to the first baccalaureate or professional degree.
  • South Carolina HOPE Scholarship: Don’t qualify for the LIFE and Palmetto Fellows scholarships? If you’re a freshman in a 4-year program, you can still apply for the HOPE.
  • South Carolina Need-Based Grants: This grant can help provide aid for needy students.

Here are some institution-specific scholarships and grants that can be available to students in South Carolina who qualify:

You can find more detailed information on the above scholarship and grants on the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education website.

Scholarship Listing

Source: Scholarship directory data is copyrighted material which is reproduced on this website by permission of CollegeXpress, a division of Carnegie Dartlet. Copyright © 2020 by CollegeXpress.

Depending on the degree and college you choose, you may be required to take one or more entry-level tests. A few of the common tests are listed below:

SAT: This exam tests your skills in reading, writing, language and mathematics (with a calculator) and math (without a calculator).

ACT: This is a multiple-choice exam that tests your knowledge of English, mathematics, reading, and science.

AP: Held in May each year, a good score in this exam could entail college credit and advanced placement in college.

CLEP: Get a qualifying score on any of the 33 examinations and earn credit for subject matter you already know through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).

Praxis I Test: This test is for those entering a teacher’s program or for those who desire license to teach. It is a basic skills proficiency assessment in reading, writing and mathematics. Students who have already qualified on SAT or ACT are exempt.

GED: The General Equivalency Development or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) is for those who have not completed their high school. The test measures proficiency in science, mathematics, social studies, reading and writing. A high school diploma is an entry-level requirement for any 4-year degree program. A GED is equivalent to a high school diploma for most colleges.


Methodology  To be included in our ranking of the best colleges for online degree programs, all colleges had to meet the following five criteria:

  1. Be an accredited U.S. institution
  2. Offer either 2- or 4-year degree programs
  3. Have at least 1 percent of students taking at least some of their classes via distance education
  4. Be active in the 2015-16 school year
  5. Report data for all 15 specific ranking variables included in our methodology

We then ranked the remaining 2,169 colleges and universities and scored each on a 100-point scale on these specific. Our data points include:

  • The in-state tuition and fees for full-time undergraduates, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
  • Percent of undergraduate students awarded federal, state, local, institutional or other sources of grant aid, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
  • The average amount of federal, state, local, institutional or other sources of grant aid awarded to undergraduate students, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
  • Full-time Retention rate, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
  • Percent of students participating fully or partially in distance education to total enrollment, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
  • Graduation rate within six years, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
  • No. of degree programs offered via distance education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
  • Percent of students working and not enrolled 6 years after entry, College Scorecard, 2013-14
  • Open admissions policy for all or most entering first-time undergraduate-level students, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
  • Flexibility and student services, based on whether the school offers the following services, National Center for Education Statistics, 2015-16
    • Dual credit
    • Credit for life experience
    • Advanced Placement credit
    • Academic and career counseling
    • Job placement services for graduates
    • Offers credit for military training

Sources:

  • Cumulative Estimates of the Resident Population Change for the United States, Regions, States, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016 (NST-EST2016-02)
  • Employment Outcomes for South Carolina Postsecondary Graduates, Erica M. Von Nessen, Ph.D. October 2017,  http://www.che.sc.gov/CHE_Docs/executivedirector/mailouts/post-secondary-workforce-evaluation-10-12-17.pdf
  • Guiding Principles for Distance Education in South Carolina, South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, http://www.che.sc.gov/InstitutionsEducators/AcademicPolicies,Programs/AcademicPolicies/DistanceEducation.aspx, accessed November 2017
  • How These 4 East Coast Cities Are Attracting Millennials, Inc.com, October 2017, https://www.inc.com/jeff-barrett/how-these-4-east-coast-cities-are-attracting-millennials/
  • Most Recent Cohorts (All Data Elements): 2013-14, College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, accessed October, 2017, https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
  • Most S.C. college graduates see earnings rise five years after graduating, South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, November 2017, https://www.dew.sc.gov/news-details-page/2017/11/03/most-s.c.-college-graduates-see-earnings-rise-five-years-after-graduating
  • Public Higher Education Affordability in the South: Regional Profile 2017, Southern Region Education Board, https://www.sreb.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/2017regional_profile.pdf, accessed November 2017
  • Scholarships & Grants for SC Residents, South Carolina Commission for Higher Education, http://www.che.sc.gov/Students,FamiliesMilitary/PayingForCollege/FinancialAssistanceAvailable/ScholarshipsGrantsforSCResidents/SCNeed-basedGrantProgram.aspx, accessed November 2017
  • Sources of Financial Aid, National Center for Education Statistics, Last Updated April 2017, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cuc.asp
  • South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce, October 2017, https://dew.sc.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/post-secondary-workforce-evaluation-10-12-17.pdf
  • USA TODAY calls Charleston “Millennial Magnet” Charleston Regional Development Alliance, http://www.crda.org/news/usa-today-calls-charleston-millennial-magnet/, accessed November 2017
Methodologies and Sources