Resources › For Students and Parents Top South Carolina Colleges Learn About 11 of the Top-Ranked Colleges and Universities in South Carolina Share Flipboard Email Print For Students and Parents College Admissions College Rankings College Admissions Process College Profiles Choosing A College Application Tips Essay Samples & Tips Testing Graphs College Financial Aid Advanced Placement Homework Help Private School Test Prep College Life Graduate School Business School Law School Distance Learning View More By Allen Grove Allen Grove Facebook Twitter College Admissions Expert Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on August 22, 2018 My top picks for South Carolina include a wide range of public and private institutions. From a large public research university like the University of South Carolina to a tiny Christian college like Erskine, South Carolina has schools to match a variety of student personalities and interests. The 11 top South Carolina colleges below are listed alphabetically to avoid the arbitrary distinctions often used to distinguish #1 from #2, and because of the impossibility of comparing a small private college with a large public institution. The schools were chosen based on their first-year retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, curricular innovations, value, financial aid and student engagement. Compare South Carolina Colleges: SAT Scores | ACT Scores Will You Get In? See if you have the grades and test scores you need to get into any of the top South Carolina colleges with this free tool from Cappex. Anderson University Anderson University in South Carolina. jameskm03 / Flickr Location: Anderson, South Carolina Enrollment: 3,432 (2,944 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private Christian university (Baptist) Distinctions: excellent grant aid and overall value; strong Christian identity; NCAA Division II athletics program; programs for traditional undergraduates, adults, and graduate students; 17 to 1 student / faculty ratio For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Anderson University profile Citadel Military College (The Citadel) The Citadel. citedelmatt / Flickr Location: Charleston, South Carolina Enrollment: 3,602 (2,773 undergraduates) Type of Institution: public military university Distinctions: high graduate rates in relation to student profile; 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; curricular emphasis on leadership and character training; member of the NCAA Division I Southern Conference For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Citadel profile Clemson University Clemson University Football Stadium. Jas&Suz / Flickr Location: Clemson, South Carolina Enrollment: 23,406 (18,599 undergraduates) Type of Institution: public university Distinctions: one of the country's top public universities; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; attractive campus in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along Lake Hartwell; strong business, science and engineering programs; member of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Clemson University profile College of Charleston College of Charleston. lhilyer libr / Flickr Location: Charleston, South Carolina Enrollment: 11,294 (10,375 undergraduates) Type of Institution: public liberal arts college Distinctions: 15 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 21; excellent value; founded in 1770 and located in a historically rich area; member of the NCAA Division I Southern Conference For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the College of Charleston profile Converse College Converse College. Converse College / Wikimedia Commons Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina Enrollment: 1,320 (870 undergraduates) Type of Institution: master's-level women's college Distinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; popular graduate education programs; programs for adult women; good grant aid; high graduation rate in relation to the student profile; home of the Petrie School of Music; NCAA Division II athletics program For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Converse College profile Erskine College Erskine College. Photo Courtesy of Erskine College Location: Due West, South Carolina Enrollment: 822 (614 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private Christian liberal arts college (Presbyterian) Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; home to the Bowie Arts Center; high placement rate for medical school, law school and other graduate programs; NCAA Division II athletics program For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Erskine College profile Furman University Furman University. JeffersonDavis / Flickr Location: Greenville, South Carolina Enrollment: 3,003 (2,797 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private liberal arts college Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; high level of student engagement; member of the NCAA Division I Southern Conference For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Furman University profile Presbyterian College Presbyterian College. Jackmjenkins / Wikimedia Commons Location: Clinton, South Carolina Enrollment: 1,352 (1,063 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private liberal arts college (Presbyterian) Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 14; good value; good breadth of offerings for a small college (34 majors, 47 minors, and 50 clubs and organizations); member of the NCAA Division I Big South Conference For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Presbyterian College profile University of South Carolina at Columbia (USC) University of South Carolina. Florencebballer / Wikimedia Commons Location: Columbia, South Carolina Enrollment: 34,099 (25,556 undergraduates) Type of Institution: public university Distinctions: well-regarded honors college; strong first-year student program; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 350 bachelor, master's and doctoral programs; member of the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of South Carolina profile Winthrop University Winthrop University. keithbsmiley / Flickr Location: Rock Hill, South Carolina Enrollment: 6,109 (5,091 undergraduates) Type of Institution: public university Distinctions: 14 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 24; home to many buildings on the National Historic Register; students from 42 states and 54 countries; more than 180 clubs and organizations; member of the NCAA Division I Big South Conference For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Winthrop University profile Wofford College Wofford College Gibbs Stadium. Greenstrat / Wikimedia Commons Location: Spartanburg, South Carolina Enrollment: 1,683 (all undergraduate) Type of Institution: private liberal arts college (Methodist) Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; campus is a National Historic District and a designated arboretum; member of the NCAA Division I Southern Conference For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Wofford College profile Calculate Your Chances Calculate Your Chances of Being Admitted. See if you have the grades and test scores you need to get into one of these top South Carolina schools with this free tool from Cappex. Top Schools in Surrounding States South Atlantic Region. If you're hoping to attend college in the Southeast, don't limit your search to South Carolina. Check out these 30 top colleges and universities in the Southeast. Check Out Other Top Colleges and Universities Royce Hall at UCLA. Photo Credit: Marisa Benjamin If your open to the idea of attending college anywhere, here are many of the top colleges and universities throughout the United States: Private Universities | Public Universities | Liberal Arts Colleges | Engineering | Business | Women's | Most Selective | More Top Picks Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Grove, Allen. "Top South Carolina Colleges." ThoughtCo, Oct. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/top-south-carolina-colleges-788329. Grove, Allen. (2020, October 29). Top South Carolina Colleges. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/top-south-carolina-colleges-788329 Grove, Allen. "Top South Carolina Colleges." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/top-south-carolina-colleges-788329 (accessed March 21, 2023). copy citation