Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in South Carolina

Colleges ranked by how many years of extra earnings, above a high school graduate’s, cover four years of net price.

Colleges that pay for themselves fastest in South Carolina6 schools

6 schools qualify, ranked by payback years.

How this list is made

Schools in South Carolina.
Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
Academic Excellence grade B+ or better (the top 35% of rated colleges).
Has median earnings ten years after enrolling and a net price from federal data (College Scorecard), and those earnings are above a high school graduate’s ($48,360 a year: median weekly earnings of $930 for full-time workers with a high school diploma, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2024).
Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
Payback years = four years of net price ÷ (earnings − a high school graduate’s earnings). Ordered by payback years, fewest first. A simple estimate: it leaves out interest, taxes and earnings growth.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.

School	Net price a year	Median debt	Earnings 10 years out	Graduation rate
Citadel Military College of South Carolina	About $21,000	$21,096	$72,085	75%
Wofford College	About $19,000	$25,732	$68,964	84%
Clemson University	About $22,000	$21,500	$71,513	87%
Furman University	About $30,000	$23,250	$68,635	79%
University of South Carolina-Columbia	About $23,000	$21,500	$62,177	79%
College of Charleston	About $19,000	$23,250	$56,416	66%

Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.