Most Affordable Private Colleges in South Carolina
Private nonprofit colleges rarely cost what their price tags say. Among the 18 we rank in South Carolina, the average net price runs from $10,972 to $30,308 a year, a range of $19,336.
The median net price is $19,509, $4,351 (18%) below the national median of $23,860 for private nonprofit colleges. Median tuition and fees are $28,850, but the median net price, which also counts room, board and books after grants, is $19,509, so aid more than covers the housing and living costs added on top of tuition.
Allen University ranks first at $10,972, ahead of Spartanburg Methodist College ($14,580) and Southern Wesleyan University ($15,464).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- Private nonprofit 4-year colleges whose main award is the bachelor's degree
- Ranked by net price, lowest first. Ties are broken by larger undergraduate enrollment, then by name.
- Main campuses only, with at least 60% of core data fields reported
- Main campus located in South Carolina
- At least 500 undergraduate students enrolled (fall 2024)
- A reported net price value (schools without one are not ranked)
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; South Carolina has 18
- Data period
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, academic year 2023-24.
- Tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25 (the same for in-state and out-of-state students).
- Net price by income: students with family income of $0 to $30,000, academic year 2023-24.
- Graduation rate: first-time, full-time students who started in fall 2018 (4-year) or fall 2021 (2-year), finishing within 150% of normal time.
- Earnings: median earnings four years after completing, measured in 2022 and 2023 for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 cohorts, in 2024 dollars.
- Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
Showing all 18 qualifying schools. Select a column heading to re-sort the table.
| 1 | Allen University Columbia, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $10,972 | $14,304 | $10,553 | 13% | $36,436 |
| 2 | Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $14,580 | $20,650 | $13,794 | 41% | $36,778 |
| 3 | Southern Wesleyan University Central, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $15,464 | $29,800 | $14,084 | 52% | $52,228 |
| 4 | Erskine College Due West, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $16,525 | $36,710 | $14,555 | 47% | $48,305 |
| 5 | Bob Jones University Greenville, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $16,641 | $24,470 | $14,287 | 67% | $46,177 |
| 6 | Claflin University Orangeburg, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $17,800 | $18,282 | $16,354 | 50% | $43,925 |
| 7 | Benedict College Columbia, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $18,250 | $17,440 | $17,177 | 23% | $41,293 |
| 8 | Columbia College (SC) Columbia, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $18,408 | $22,214 | $17,541 | 45% | $52,308 |
| 9 | Wofford College Spartanburg, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $18,732 | $56,005 | $8,493 | 82% | $65,763 |
| 10 | Coker University Hartsville, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $20,286 | $33,416 | $16,789 | 38% | $47,935 |
| 11 | Presbyterian College Clinton, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $20,528 | $44,910 | $18,277 | 56% | $57,042 |
| 12 | North Greenville University Tigerville, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $21,063 | $25,800 | $18,947 | 55% | $44,607 |
| 13 | Newberry College Newberry, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $21,656 | $31,100 | $19,887 | 45% | $50,324 |
| 14 | Charleston Southern University Charleston, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $21,666 | $32,520 | $20,145 | 48% | $54,684 |
| 15 | Converse University Spartanburg, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $23,283 | $25,240 | $14,137 | 54% | $44,925 |
| 16 | Anderson University (SC) Anderson, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $23,544 | $34,970 | $17,188 | 67% | $55,541 |
| 17 | Columbia International University Columbia, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $26,036 | $27,900 | $21,955 | 55% | $40,332 |
| 18 | Furman University Greenville, SC Private nonprofit · 4-year | $30,308 | $59,770 | $16,401 | 80% | $64,492 |
How to compare these colleges
Do not rule out a private college because of its sticker price. Private colleges often discount heavily, and the net price shown here is what students who receive aid pay on average, including housing and books. Your own offer depends on your family income and the school's aid policy, so run each college's net price calculator and compare actual award letters.
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All 44 colleges in South Carolina See the national version of this ranking