Cheap Colleges in South Carolina for Out-of-State Students
Out-of-state students pay between $7,924 and $40,866 a year in tuition and fees at the 18 public colleges and universities we rank in South Carolina, a gap of $32,942 between the cheapest and the most expensive. This list ranks the non-resident price, not the in-state price.
The median public college charges nonresidents $21,647, $8,862 (69%) above the national median of $12,786 for public colleges. Residents pay a median of $11,110, so the typical out-of-state premium is only $10,537 here, a ratio of 1.9 to 1.
Aiken Technical College ranks first at $7,924, ahead of Trident Technical College ($8,620) and Technical College of the Lowcountry ($11,916).
How this list is built
A college appears here only if it meets every condition below.
- Colleges considered
- All public colleges and universities, 4-year and 2-year (community colleges and state colleges included)
- Ranked by out-of-state tuition & fees, 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 out-of-state tuition & fees value (schools without one are not ranked)
- Schools that report no tuition or a $0 price are not ranked
- This page is published only when at least 15 schools qualify; South Carolina has 18
- Data period
- Out-of-state tuition and fees: academic year 2024-25. Shown for public colleges only, because private colleges charge everyone the same price.
- In-state tuition and fees: full-time undergraduate sticker price, academic year 2024-25. Some community colleges report the in-district rate.
- Net price: average for students receiving aid, 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.
- Enrollment: undergraduate students, fall 2024.
- 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 | Aiken Technical College Graniteville, SC Public · 2-year | $7,924 | $5,174 | $4,807 | 26% | 1,925 |
| 2 | Trident Technical College Charleston, SC Public · 2-year | $8,620 | $4,546 | $1,406 | 29% | 10,512 |
| 3 | Technical College of the Lowcountry Beaufort, SC Public · 2-year | $11,916 | $6,156 | $14,724 | 15% | 1,679 |
| 4 | Midlands Technical College West Columbia, SC Public · 2-year | $14,700 | $5,100 | $4,647 | 17% | 7,564 |
| 5 | University of South Carolina-Sumter Sumter, SC Public · 2-year | $18,238 | $7,558 | $7,712 | 38% | 716 |
| 6 | University of South Carolina-Lancaster Lancaster, SC Public · 2-year | $18,238 | $7,558 | $9,801 | 27% | 668 |
| 7 | University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken, SC Public · 4-year | $21,218 | $10,760 | $11,641 | 40% | 2,962 |
| 8 | Lander University Greenwood, SC Public · 4-year | $21,300 | $11,700 | $15,363 | 49% | 3,397 |
| 9 | Francis Marion University Florence, SC Public · 4-year | $21,544 | $11,160 | $11,386 | 43% | 2,628 |
| 10 | South Carolina State University Orangeburg, SC Public · 4-year | $21,750 | $11,060 | $18,097 | 33% | 2,934 |
| 11 | University of South Carolina Beaufort Bluffton, SC Public · 4-year | $21,776 | $10,730 | $14,656 | 36% | 2,052 |
| 12 | University of South Carolina-Upstate Spartanburg, SC Public · 4-year | $23,090 | $11,588 | $13,557 | 43% | 4,038 |
| 13 | Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC Public · 4-year | $28,676 | $14,678 | $15,343 | 59% | 3,523 |
| 14 | Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC Public · 4-year | $29,628 | $11,640 | $13,966 | 50% | 10,377 |
| 15 | University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC Public · 4-year | $35,972 | $12,688 | $22,811 | 78% | 29,820 |
| 16 | College of Charleston Charleston, SC Public · 4-year | $38,296 | $12,978 | $18,960 | 65% | 10,558 |
| 17 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC Public · 4-year | $38,508 | $12,570 | $20,723 | 74% | 2,705 |
| 18 | Clemson University Clemson, SC Public · 4-year | $40,866 | $15,554 | $22,253 | 87% | 23,300 |
How to compare these colleges
The ranked column is the out-of-state price. The in-state price is shown for comparison, and net price is the average for students who receive aid, measured mostly for in-state students at public colleges, so it is not a good guide to what a nonresident will pay. Many states cut the non-resident rate through regional exchange programs, reciprocity agreements or merit awards, and residency can change after a year of living in the state, so check each college's non-resident aid page before ruling a school out.
Guides worth reading first
More lists for South Carolina
Cheapest colleges in South Carolina
29 schools
Best value colleges in South Carolina
23 schools
Highest graduate earnings in South Carolina
30 schools
Most affordable private colleges in South Carolina
18 schools
Same list in nearby states
Cheap colleges in North Carolina for out-of-state students
43 schools
Cheap colleges in Georgia for out-of-state students
27 schools
Cheap colleges in California for out-of-state students
121 schools
All 44 colleges in South Carolina See the national version of this ranking