College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

Colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

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Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location1
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
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RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
State: South CarolinaClear all

38 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 7%

    Clemson University

    #1 in South Carolina
    Clemson, SC · Public · 4-year · 28,747 students

    $22,253 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Citadel Military College of South Carolina

    #2 in South Carolina
    Charleston, SC · Public · 4-year · 3,727 students

    $20,723 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.ValueExcellentAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%

    Furman University

    #3 in South Carolina
    Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,505 students

    $30,308 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%

    Wofford College

    Top 8% for graduation
    Spartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,873 students

    $18,732 a year after aid, on average

    Honor RollCollege Compass Guide Honor Roll: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ and A), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 12%

    University of South Carolina-Columbia

    Top 12% for graduation
    Columbia, SC · Public · 4-year · 36,579 students

    $22,811 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsExcellent
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 13%

    Bob Jones University

    Excellent: Compass grade A-
    Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,893 students

    $16,641 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreExcellent · Top 20%

    American College of the Building Arts

    Top 13% for low debt
    Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 140 students

    $30,403 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.Value not rated yetAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 22%

    College of Charleston

    #8 in South Carolina
    Charleston, SC · Public · 4-year · 11,729 students

    $18,960 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreVery good · Top 27%

    Anderson University

    #9 in South Carolina
    Anderson, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 4,325 students

    $23,544 a year after aid, on average

    RecommendedCompass Recommended: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score (grades A+ to B+), from academics and value.ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 41%

    Converse University

    #10 in South Carolina
    Spartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,341 students

    $23,283 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 49%

    North Greenville University

    #11 in South Carolina
    Tigerville, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,219 students

    $21,063 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood · Top 49%

    Presbyterian College

    #12 in South Carolina
    Clinton, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,136 students

    $20,528 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Winthrop University

    #13 in South Carolina
    Rock Hill, SC · Public · 4-year · 4,694 students

    $15,343 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Coastal Carolina University

    #14 in South Carolina
    Conway, SC · Public · 4-year · 10,829 students

    $13,966 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Southern Wesleyan University

    #15 in South Carolina
    Central, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,188 students

    $15,464 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Claflin University

    #16 in South Carolina
    Orangeburg, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,835 students

    $17,800 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    University of South Carolina-Upstate

    #17 in South Carolina
    Spartanburg, SC · Public · 4-year · 4,946 students

    $13,557 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreGood

    Spartanburg Methodist College

    Top 11% for low debt
    Spartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,029 students

    $14,580 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Lander University

    #19 in South Carolina
    Greenwood, SC · Public · 4-year · 4,363 students

    $15,363 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    University of South Carolina Aiken

    Top 20% for low net price
    Aiken, SC · Public · 4-year · 3,855 students

    $11,641 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Charleston Southern University

    #21 in South Carolina
    Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,545 students

    $21,666 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Erskine College

    #22 in South Carolina
    Due West, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 984 students

    $16,525 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Francis Marion University

    Top 19% for low net price
    Florence, SC · Public · 4-year · 4,017 students

    $11,386 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Voorhees University

    #24 in South Carolina
    Denmark, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 515 students

    $13,335 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Newberry College

    #25 in South Carolina
    Newberry, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,507 students

    $21,656 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong

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