Highest 20-Year ROI Colleges in South Carolina
The biggest 20-year net financial gain over a high-school-only earner — tuition and debt already subtracted. Our tax-verified answer to the 20-year ROI question, from IRS-linked federal earnings rather than self-reported surveys.
Showing South Carolina
Clear state| # | College | Type | 20-yr net gain | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galen Health Institutes-Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach, SC | For-profit | $609,470 | $78,480 | $25,662 | $24,166 | +457% | Strong return | |
| 2 | Clemson University Clemson, SC | Public | $403,573 | $70,021 | $22,253 | $21,500 | +158% | Strong return | |
| 3 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC | Public | $387,540 | $68,906 | $20,723 | $21,096 | +164% | Strong return | |
| 4 | Furman University Greenville, SC | Private | $371,216 | $70,046 | $30,308 | $23,250 | +93% | Strong return | |
| 5 | Wofford College Spartanburg, SC | Private | $299,815 | $64,206 | $18,732 | $25,732 | +128% | Strong return | |
| 6 | University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC | Public | $268,121 | $63,360 | $22,811 | $21,500 | +85% | Strong return | |
| 7 | Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College Orangeburg, SC | Public | $232,559 | $57,439 | $6,186 | $10,562 | +667% | Strong return | |
| 8 | Strayer University-South Carolina Greenville, SC | For-profit | $230,441 | $60,858 | $17,979 | $40,621 | +83% | Strong return | |
| 9 | Southern Wesleyan University Central, SC | Private | $223,629 | $59,748 | $15,464 | $26,000 | +107% | Strong return | |
| 10 | Presbyterian College Clinton, SC | Private | $183,633 | $58,761 | $20,528 | $26,000 | +50% | Break-even | |
| 11 | Newberry College Newberry, SC | Private | $179,408 | $58,790 | $21,656 | $26,805 | +43% | Break-even | |
| 12 | Erskine College Due West, SC | Private | $124,381 | $55,016 | $16,525 | $27,000 | +32% | Break-even | |
| 13 | College of Charleston Charleston, SC | Public | $95,908 | $54,011 | $18,960 | $23,250 | +7% | Break-even | |
| 14 | Bob Jones University Greenville, SC | Private | $30,912 | $50,176 | $16,641 | $16,585 | -29% | Poor return | |
| 15 | Trident Technical College Charleston, SC | Public | $24,160 | $46,586 | $1,406 | $13,029 | +110% | Strong return | |
| 16 | Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg, SC | Public | $21,821 | $46,450 | $2,405 | $6,500 | +102% | Strong return | |
| 17 | Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC | Public | $20,601 | $49,256 | $13,966 | $23,750 | -34% | Poor return | |
| 18 | Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC | Public | $559 | $47,651 | $11,713 | $15,392 | -50% | Poor return | |
| 19 | Anderson University Anderson, SC | Private | $-4,106 | $49,990 | $23,544 | $26,700 | -52% | Poor return | |
| 20 | Midlands Technical College West Columbia, SC | Public | $-5,107 | $45,428 | $4,647 | $12,000 | -69% | Poor return | |
| 21 | Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC | Public | $-10,682 | $48,026 | $15,343 | $26,975 | -58% | Poor return | |
| 22 | University of South Carolina Beaufort Bluffton, SC | Public | $-10,710 | $47,833 | $14,656 | $24,000 | -58% | Poor return | |
| 23 | Tri-County Technical College Pendleton, SC | Public | $-30,860 | $45,088 | $14,670 | $9,000 | -97% | Poor return | |
| 24 | Northeastern Technical College Cheraw, SC | Public | $-33,426 | $44,020 | $6,913 | — | -171% | Poor return | |
| 25 | Coker University Hartsville, SC | Private | $-41,719 | $47,445 | $20,286 | $26,000 | -73% | Poor return | |
| 26 | York Technical College Rock Hill, SC | Public | $-42,973 | $43,572 | $5,931 | $7,000 | -199% | Poor return | |
| 27 | University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken, SC | Public | $-47,410 | $45,400 | $11,641 | $24,275 | -93% | Poor return | |
| 28 | Central Carolina Technical College Sumter, SC | Public | $-52,638 | $43,107 | $5,571 | $9,977 | -228% | Poor return | |
| 29 | Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC | Public | $-57,051 | $42,823 | $4,159 | $14,250 | -261% | Poor return | |
| 30 | University of South Carolina-Upstate Spartanburg, SC | Public | $-63,758 | $44,930 | $13,557 | $22,310 | -101% | Poor return | |
| 31 | Charleston Southern University Charleston, SC | Private | $-68,690 | $46,381 | $21,666 | $26,471 | -86% | Poor return | |
| 32 | Technical College of the Lowcountry Beaufort, SC | Public | $-68,852 | $43,212 | $14,724 | $10,000 | -154% | Poor return | |
| 33 | Aiken Technical College Graniteville, SC | Public | $-76,138 | $41,897 | $4,807 | $12,250 | -320% | Poor return | |
| 34 | Piedmont Technical College Greenwood, SC | Public | $-89,958 | $41,912 | $11,366 | $15,000 | -210% | Poor return | |
| 35 | South Carolina State University Orangeburg, SC | Public | $-90,845 | $44,642 | $18,097 | $31,000 | -104% | Poor return | |
| 36 | Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence, SC | Public | $-95,912 | $40,628 | $2,004 | $12,250 | -616% | Poor return | |
| 37 | Converse University Spartanburg, SC | Private | $-102,051 | $45,046 | $23,283 | $27,000 | -100% | Poor return | |
| 38 | North Greenville University Tigerville, SC | Private | $-102,343 | $44,516 | $21,063 | $23,082 | -105% | Poor return | |
| 39 | Francis Marion University Florence, SC | Public | $-120,863 | $41,726 | $11,386 | $27,000 | -159% | Poor return | |
| 40 | Columbia College Columbia, SC | Private | $-127,982 | $42,697 | $18,408 | $22,750 | -128% | Poor return | |
| 41 | Lander University Greenwood, SC | Public | $-129,102 | $42,073 | $15,363 | $25,000 | -142% | Poor return | |
| 42 | Fortis College-Columbia Columbia, SC | For-profit | $-183,740 | $38,082 | $20,404 | $12,547 | -252% | Poor return | |
| 43 | Claflin University Orangeburg, SC | Private | $-204,928 | $38,842 | $17,800 | $29,000 | -175% | Poor return | |
| 44 | Allen University Columbia, SC | Private | $-264,864 | $34,576 | $10,972 | $34,290 | -285% | Poor return | |
| 45 | Columbia International University Columbia, SC | Private | $-278,392 | $36,652 | $26,036 | $20,000 | -175% | Poor return | |
| 46 | Benedict College Columbia, SC | Private | $-284,943 | $34,995 | $18,250 | $32,500 | -218% | Poor return | |
| 47 | Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg, SC | Private | $-320,073 | $32,131 | $14,580 | $12,000 | -305% | Poor return |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
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