South Carolina Teacher Colleges and Degrees Online Guide
This guide to teaching schools in South Carolina is designed to help aspiring teachers find the best teacher preparation program to become a certified teacher. In order to teach in South Carolina, teachers must complete a program at an accredited school. Fortunately, there are several colleges and universities in the state that offer degree programs. For useful information on the various teaching degrees offered in South Carolina, take a look at our lists of top-rated teaching programs, table of accredited, state-approved teacher preparation programs, and student reviews. This guide can help prospective students looking to work in education as well as those looking to change their current career find the best program for their goals.
Quick Facts
- There are 36 colleges and universities with teacher degree programs in South Carolina.1
- 8 colleges and universities offer an associate’s degree in education.*1
- 30 colleges and universities offer a bachelor’s degree in education.*1
- 22 colleges and universities offer a master’s or advanced degree in education.*1
- 4 schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019.2
- No schools ranked in Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Education Majors 2020.3
- 3 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019.4
- 9 schools ranked in US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019.5
- 27 not-for-profit teacher programs are accredited by the NCATE, TEAC, or CAEP.
*For not-for-profit colleges and universities with teacher degree programs.
Top-Ranked Schools with Education Programs in South Carolina
- Wofford College (#128)
- Clemson University (#150)
- Furman University (#157)
- University of South Carolina (#187)
- Clemson University (#71 tie)
- University of South Carolina (#75 tie)
- South Carolina State University (#195-258)
- Clemson University (#1 tie)
- University of South Carolina (#34 tie)
- Anderson University (#84 tie)
- The Citadel (#177 tie)
- Coastal Carolina University (#228-299)
- Coker College (#228-295)
- Converse College (#228-295)
- Southern Wesleyan University (#228-295)
- Winthrop University (#228-295)
Kiplinger’s Best College Values 2019*
*Institution-wide ranking.
US News & World Report’s Best Graduate Education Programs 2019
US News & World Report’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs 2019
School Programs for Becoming a Teacher in South Carolina
Comparison of Teacher Preparation Programs
We have designed the following table to help you compare teacher preparation programs in South Carolina according to various factors. All of the schools included are not-for-profit institutions approved by the South Carolina Department of Education for the preparation of teachers. Completing a state-approved teacher preparation program is an important step towards earning licensure.
While accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) is not a requirement for licensure, it is included in the following table as CAEP provides a highly-regarded accreditation that is accepted in many states. Read more about the CAEP, NCATE, and TEAC accrediting bodies. We have also included rankings from the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), a research and policy group that scores teacher preparation programs at the national level using key standards chosen to measure students’ preparation for success in teaching. For further information on the NCTQ’s program rankings, please see the notes below the table.
You will also find data on teacher preparation program enrollment, completion, and licensing exam pass rates by institution for the 2017-2018 academic year in this table. These data points are collected from annual US Department of Education records under Title II (Teacher Quality) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which provides for reporting that holds institutions and state departments of education accountable for increasing academic achievement through improvements in teacher quality.
Programs that are not ranked, or for which data is not available, in a given category are denoted as “-“.
State-Approved School | CAEP Accred.?6 | NCTQ Undergrad Elementary Prog. % (2016)**7 | NCTQ Undergrad Secondary Prog. % (2017)**7 | Teacher Prep Prog. Enrollment8 | Teacher Prep Prog. Completers8 | Licensing Exams Pass Rate8 | Net Price***1 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Anderson University | Yes | — | — | 218 | 111 | 93% | $21,816 |
Benedict College | Yes | — | — | 2 | 1 | — | $19,340 |
Bob Jones University | No | — | 46% | 106 | 57 | 100% | $14,416 |
Charleston Southern University | Yes | 29% | 57% | 313 | 59 | 98% | $17,858 |
Claflin University | Yes | — | — | 14 | 13 | 100% | $18,089 |
Clemson University | Yes | — | 98% | 599 | 160 | 100% | $18,757 |
Coastal Carolina University | Yes | 57% | — | 371 | 153 | 97% | $16,224 |
Coker College | Yes | — | — | 22 | 11 | 100% | $16,464 |
College of Charleston | Yes | 41% | 76% | 354 | 154 | 94% | $19,790 |
Columbia College | Yes | 79% | — | 179 | 31 | 100% | $17,550 |
Columbia International University | No | — | — | 28 | 13 | 92% | $18,476 |
Converse College | Yes | 29% | 37% | 234 | 52 | 96% | $19,245 |
Erskine College | Yes | — | — | 13 | 11 | 100% | $34,550 |
Francis Marion University | Yes | — | — | 369 | 50 | 100% | $11,935 |
Furman University | Yes | — | 92% | 59 | 23 | 100% | $32,951 |
Lander University | Yes | 2% | — | 150 | 74 | 93% | $14,570 |
Limestone College | Yes | 12% | — | 27 | 11 | 100% | $23,935 |
Morris College | Yes | — | — | — | — | — | $16,472 |
Newberry College | Yes | — | — | 48 | 25 | 83% | $19,427 |
North Greenville University | Yes | 81% | — | 409 | 66 | 100% | $16,821 |
Presbyterian College | Yes | — | — | 22 | 14 | 92% | $20,518 |
South Carolina State University | Yes | 60% | — | 11 | 22 | 100% | $21,112 |
Southern Wesleyan University | Yes | 79% | 71% | 145 | 20 | 95% | $16,008 |
The Citadel | Yes | — | 37% | 67 | 35 | 100% | $17,017 |
University of Southern Carolina-Aiken | Yes | — | 23% | 59 | 53 | 100% | $14,821 |
University of Southern Carolina-Beaufort | Yes | 86% | — | 13 | 13 | 100% | $16,266 |
University of Southern Carolina-Columbia | Yes | 91% | 87% | 352 | 350 | 100% | $20,271 |
University of Southern Carolina-Upstate | Yes | 54% | 59% | 206 | 145 | 91% | $14,730 |
Winthrop University | Yes | 98% | — | 281 | 166 | 99% | $16,970 |
Wofford College | No | — | — | 11 | 3 | — | $27,101 |
*The NCTQ rated undergraduate elementary teaching programs in 2016 and undergraduate secondary teaching programs in 2017 by national percentile based on their overall scores on the NCTQ’s standards for teacher education. Schools that do not provide data on all key standards or that fall below the top 50% of schools nationally are not included by the NCTQ in their ratings. Visit the NCTQ website for more information on its standards and methodologies.
**Net price is per year for undergraduate tuition as calculated by the National Center for Education Statistics based on the cost of attendance (tuition, books, room and board, and related expenses) for students who qualify for in-state tuition and fees, less the average financial aid award (including grants and scholarships).
Profiles of Well-Known Schools
South Carolina State University: The South Carolina State University Department of Education is the academic unit that prepares current and future educational professionals for placement in the k-12 educational system. The Department prepares students for their roles as teachers, counselors, administrators, and superintendents. The department has recently adopted a new curricular model based that molds students into intelligent, competent and self-reflective education practitioners no matter what their educational level or experience. Students learn effective pedagogy from dynamic faculty that have years of experience in the field combined with years of intensive, cutting-edge research.
Schools with Teaching Degree Programs in South Carolina
Aiken Technical College*
2276 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Graniteville, SC 29829
(803) 593-9231
www.atc.edu
Anderson University
316 Boulevard
Anderson, SC 29621
(864) 231-2000
www.andersonuniversity.edu
Benedict College
1600 Harden St
Columbia, SC 29204-1086
(803) 256-4220
www.benedict.edu
Charleston Southern University
9200 University Blvd
Charleston, SC 29410-8087
(843) 863-7000
www.csuniv.edu
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
171 Moultrie St
Charleston, SC 29409
(843) 225-3294
www.citadel.edu
Claflin University
400 Magnolia St
Orangeburg, SC 29115-4498
(803) 535-5000
www.claflin.edu
Clemson University
201 Sikes Hall
Clemson, SC 29634
(864) 656-4636
http://www.clemson.edu/



Coastal Carolina University
108 James P. Blanton Cir
Conway, SC 29526
(843) 347-3161
www.coastal.edu
Coker College
300 E College Ave
Hartsville, SC 29550
(843) 383-8000
www.coker.edu
College of Charleston
66 George St
Charleston, SC 29424-0001
(843) 953-5500
https://cofc.edu/


Columbia College-Columbia
1301 Columbia College Dr
Columbia, SC 29203
(803) 786-3012
www.columbiacollegesc.edu
Columbia International University
7435 Monticello Rd
Columbia, SC 29203-1513
(803) 754-4100
www.ciu.edu
Converse College
580 E Main St
Spartanburg, SC 29302-0006
(864) 596-9000
www.converse.edu
Erskine College
2 Washington St
Due West, SC 29639
(864) 379-2131
www.erskine.edu
Florence-Darlington Technical College*
2715 W Lucas St
Florence, SC 29501-0548
(843) 661-8324
www.fdtc.edu
Francis Marion University
4822 E Palmetto St
Florence, SC 29506
(843) 661-1362
www.fmarion.edu
Furman University
3300 Poinsett Hwy
Greenville, SC 29613-6162
(864) 294-2000
https://www.furman.edu/

Greenville Technical College*
506 S Pleasantburg Dr
Greenville, SC 29607-2416
(864) 250-8111
Horry-Georgetown Technical College*
2050 Highway 501 E
Conway, SC 29526
(843) 347-3186
Lander University
320 Stanley Ave
Greenwood, SC 29649-2099
(864) 388-8000
https://www.lander.edu/

Limestone College
1115 College Dr
Gaffney, SC 29340-3799
(800) 795-7151
www.limestone.edu
Midlands Technical College*
1260 Lexington Dr
West Columbia, SC 29170-2176
(803) 738-8324
www.midlandstech.edu
Morris College
100 West College St
Sumter, SC 29150-3599
(803) 934-3200
www.morris.edu
Newberry College
2100 College St
Newberry, SC 29108
(803) 276-5010
www.newberry.edu
North Greenville University
7801 N Tigerville Rd
Tigerville, SC 29688-1892
(864) 977-7000
www.ngu.edu
Northeastern Technical College*
1201 Chesterfield Hwy
Cheraw, SC 29520-1007
(843) 921-6900
www.netc.edu
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College*
3250 Saint Matthews Rd
Orangeburg, SC 29118-8299
(803) 536-0311
www.octech.edu/
Piedmont Technical College*
620 N Emerald Rd
Greenwood, SC 29646
(864) 941-8324
www.ptc.edu
Presbyterian College
503 S Broad St
Clinton, SC 29325
(864) 833-2820
www.presby.edu
South Carolina State University
300 College St NE
Orangeburg, SC 29117-0001
(803) 536-7000
www.scsu.edu
Southern Wesleyan University
907 Wesleyan Dr
Central, SC 29630-1020
(864) 644-5000
www.presby.edu
Spartanburg Community College*
Business I-85
Spartanburg, SC 29303
(864) 592-4600
www.sccsc.edu
Tri-County Technical College*
7900 US Hwy 76
Pendleton, SC 29670
(864) 646-1500
Trident Technical College*
7000 Rivers Ave
Charleston, SC 29423-8067
(843) 574-6111
www.tridenttech.edu
University of South Carolina-Aiken
471 University Pkwy
Aiken, SC 29801
(803) 648-6851
www.usca.edu
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC 29208
(803) 777-7000
https://sc.edu/

Winthrop University
119 Tillman Hall
Rock Hill, SC 29733
(803) 323-2211
www.winthrop.edu
York Technical College*
452 S Anderson Rd
Rock Hill, SC 29730
(803) 327-8000
www.yorktech.edu
An asterisk (*) denotes a two-year or certificate program in education. While a two-year degree will not qualify graduates for teacher certification, it can be a good starting point for a teaching career. To learn more about what you can do with this degree, see our guide to associate’s degrees in education.
References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Kiplinger’s Best College Values: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Tile
3. The Princeton Review. The Best 385 Colleges, 2020 Edition. The Princeton Review, 2019.
4. US News & World Report Best Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-education-schools/edu-rankings
5. US News & World Report Best Online Graduate Education Schools 2019: https://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/education/rankings
6. Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP): http://caepnet.org/provider-search
7. National Council on Teacher Quality Teacher Preparation Program Review: https://www.nctq.org/review/home
8. US Department of` Education 2018 Title II Reports: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx