Best Colleges in South Carolina by Salary Potential
Thinking of getting your bachelor’s degree? Before you invest your time and money, check out South Carolina colleges with the highest-paid graduates.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: Citadel Military College of South Carolina | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$63,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$117,600 | % High Meaning:65% | % STEM Degrees:21% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: Wofford College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$56,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$112,300 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:32% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Clemson University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$62,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$111,500 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:35% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: Furman University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$55,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$109,200 | % High Meaning:43% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:5 | School Name: University of South Carolina-Columbia | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$55,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$93,900 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: Presbyterian College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$53,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$93,600 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:23% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: Medical University of South Carolina | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$63,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$92,100 | % High Meaning:88% | % STEM Degrees:6% |
| Rank:8 | School Name: Bob Jones University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$52,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$90,900 | % High Meaning:59% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:9 | School Name: College of Charleston | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$52,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$90,600 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:21% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: South Carolina State University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$48,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$90,200 | % High Meaning:66% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Winthrop University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$48,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$84,800 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:12 | School Name: University of South Carolina-Upstate | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$49,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$83,000 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:13 | School Name: Francis Marion University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$47,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$82,600 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Coastal Carolina University | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$48,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$81,800 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:16% |
| Rank:15 | School Name: Lander University | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$45,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$81,400 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:16 | School Name:Newberry College | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$45,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$81,100 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:17 | School Name: University of South Carolina Aiken | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$45,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$80,500 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:18 | School Name:_50px.png) Charleston Southern University | School Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$47,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$78,400 | % High Meaning:63% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:19 | School Name: Limestone University | School Type:Private School | Early Career Pay:$45,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$76,600 | % High Meaning:62% | % STEM Degrees:9% |
| Rank:20 | School Name:_50px.png) Southern Wesleyan University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$47,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$76,500 | % High Meaning:62% | % STEM Degrees:5% |
| Rank:21 | School Name:Erskine College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$49,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$75,500 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:22 | School Name:Anderson University (South Carolina) | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$44,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$72,900 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:23 | School Name:Converse College | School Type:Private School | Early Career Pay:$44,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$72,000 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
| Rank:24 | School Name:Voorhees College | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$35,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$68,200 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:25 | School Name:Columbia College (South Carolina) | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$44,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$66,200 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:7% |
PayScale’s College Salary Report has salary data for alumni who earn Bachelor’s degrees from more than a dozen colleges in South Carolina. Some of the more notable schools include Clemson University, Furman University and University of South Carolina — the "other" USC.
The best universities in South Carolina for early career median salary include The Citadel — Military College of South Carolina and Clemson University.
On the low end of the spectrum, Francis Marion University has median early and mid-career salaries, and only half of its students find a high significance and meaning in their jobs.
Jobs For Graduates of Top Colleges in South Carolina
One of the most popular fields for graduates in South Carolina seems to be engineering — in one form or another. Students will popularly go on to be Civil, Electrical, Process, Mechanical, and even Software Engineers.