South Carolina State University
Orangeburg, SC · Public · Town (distant) · SCSU
Public institution in Orangeburg, SC · 2,757 undergraduates · 82% acceptance rate · $38,262 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 6%Pell Grant share
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $18,268922nd cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $11,060690th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $21,750951st cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $29,957937th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $31,0001,821st lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $38,2621,681st highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $30,0641,739th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 29.4%1,772nd highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 58.8%1,625th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 81.7%954th most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- —
- Median ACT
- 17932nd highest of 952 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 2,757747th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 19.0:11,798th smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 68.5%130th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 119 mi (CLT)
On 2 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- Free
- Personal essay
- Required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 40 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $62,012 | — |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $37,208 | $32,925 |
| Criminal Justice and CorrectionsHomeland Security & Law Enforcement | bachelors | $30,119 | $26,353 |
| Social WorkPublic Administration | bachelors | $28,598 | $27,403 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $27,488 | $32,569 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $25,194 | $24,863 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $24,863 | $20,444 |
| Psychology, GeneralPsychology | bachelors | $24,267 | $27,822 |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | $23,649 | $25,194 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $19,455 | $23,340 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, GeneralFamily & Consumer Sciences | bachelors | $18,315 | $22,192 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and ServicesHealth Professions | bachelors | $14,442 | — |
Campus facts
- A Historically Black College or University (HBCU)source
- Founded in 1896source
- Athletic nickname: "Lady Bulldogs"source
- Oliver C. Dawson Stadium seats about 22,000source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Bluesource
- Motto: "Scientia, Officium, Honos"source
- Formerly known as "Colored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina" (1896–1954)source
- Formerly known as "South Carolina State College" (1954–1992)source
- Athletic conference: MEACsource
- Football rivalry: North Carolina A&T–South Carolina State (since 1924)source
- Fight song: ""Bulldog Fight Song""source
Athletics — 7 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $2,632,035 (M $1,722,874 · W $909,161)
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to South Carolina State University’s 2,757 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In SC
- Charleston Southern UniversityCharleston, SC · 2,716 undergrads
- University of South Carolina AikenAiken, SC · 2,805 undergrads
- Francis Marion UniversityFlorence, SC · 2,640 undergrads
- Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, SC · 2,624 undergrads
- Anderson UniversityAnderson, SC · 3,080 undergrads
- Furman UniversityGreenville, SC · 2,322 undergrads
Elsewhere
- University of Maine at AugustaAugusta, ME · 2,759 undergrads
- Skidmore CollegeSaratoga Springs, NY · 2,760 undergrads
- Goodwin UniversityEast Hartford, CT · 2,761 undergrads
- School of the Art Institute of ChicagoChicago, IL · 2,762 undergrads
- Widener UniversityChester, PA · 2,765 undergrads
- Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA · 2,746 undergrads
Key links
- Official websitescsu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 218733)
- Compare colleges in SCRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in South CarolinaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Compare with Charleston Southern UniversitySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: South Carolina State University vs Charleston Southern UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 7 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.