Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsPublicHBCULand-grant

South Carolina State University

Orangeburg, South Carolina·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·scsu.edu
6-yr Graduation
37%
-3.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Total enrollment
3,242
peer median 3,218
Avg net price
$18,097
+$7.1k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
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AdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data Set

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
11,017
11,017 candidates competed
Admitted
9,102
82.6% acceptance rate
Enrolled
1,042
11.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
37%-3.5pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
4-year graduation
21%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
37%
Full-time retention
56%

Pell equity

0.2pp gap
Pell recipients
37%128 of 350
Non-Pell (all)
37%46 of 125
Subsidized loan, no Pell
38%21 of 56
No Federal Aid
36%25 of 69

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 52 Title IV programs, 11 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 2 fail. 39 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
52
Passing
11
21.2% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
2
3.8% of portfolio
Fail rate
3.8%
+3.2pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

52programs
  • Passing11 · 21.2%
  • No Data39 · 75.0%
  • Failing2 · 3.8%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
1
Recoverable
1
At Risk
2
Watch
3
Safe
6
No data
39

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

13
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-5.7%
$48,628 vs $51,545
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-2.0%
$50,497 vs $51,545
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+1.8%
$33,586 vs $32,989
Business/Commerce General
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+6.4%
$54,848 vs $51,545
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+15.0%
$37,940 vs $32,989
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
+21.4%
$40,050 vs $32,989
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
+24.5%
$41,075 vs $32,989
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
+30.9%
$55,513 vs $42,400

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

2
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
-2.0%
−$1,048
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+1.8%
+$597

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

10
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
131%
$63,500 debt · $48,628 earn
Student Counseling and Personnel Services
Master's Degree · Education
111%
$61,500 debt · $55,513 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
89%
$30,000 debt · $33,586 earn
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
87%
$34,750 debt · $40,050 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
82%
$31,000 debt · $37,940 earn
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
81%
$41,000 debt · $50,497 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Subject Areas
Bachelor Degree · Education
76%
$31,000 debt · $41,075 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
69%
$33,000 debt · $48,108 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1941Next review Jun 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 14

  1. Aug 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Jul 2025Probation or Equivalent or a More Severe Status: Probation
    American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
  3. Jul 2024Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  4. Dec 2022Removal of Monitoring Status
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Dec 2022Removal of Monitoring Status
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$16,846
$30–48k$16,968
$48–75k$20,449
$75–110k$22,587
$110k+$24,523

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$18,097
+$7,108vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs median $10,990
Federal loans
67.2%
In-state tuition
$11,060
Out-of-state
$21,750

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 2,285 students received $14.7M in Pell grants, alongside $25.6M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
2,285
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$14.7M
$14,672,677 total
Direct Loans
$25.6M
4,569 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
2k
’22
2k
’23
2k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$7.2M
1,946 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$6.0M
1,849 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.5M
202 loan awards
Parent PLUS$8.0M
509 loan awards
Grad PLUS$873K
63 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 925 borrowers who entered repayment, 101 (10.9%) defaulted within three years — above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
10.9%
+8.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
925
Defaulted
101
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
20.0%
2017
23.3%
2018
19.9%
2019
10.9%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at South Carolina State

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs60
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

285 total completions
01Business
7024.6%
02Education
4515.8%
03Health Professions
3713.0%
04Family/Consumer Sci
3713.0%
05Biological Sciences
3211.2%
06Security/Protective
207.0%
07Communication
124.2%
08Visual/Performing Arts
124.2%
09Engineering
103.5%
10Psychology
103.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
3,242
12-mo unduplicated
3,603
Undergraduate
3,239
Graduate
364

Gender split

Men
44%1,602
Women
56%2,001

Race / ethnicity composition

Black
90.4%
Two or more
4.3%
Unknown
3.4%
White
1.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Asian
0.2%
Hispanic
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
Non-resident
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
375
232 M · 143 W
Women athletes
38.1%
Athletic aid
$2.6M
Total student aid
Budget
$13.9M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$1.7M
$909K
Recruiting expense
$118K
$36K
Head-coach salaries
$155K
$74K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
145 M · 93 W
$739K
Football
126 M · —
$4.3M
Basketball
16 M · 15 W
$2.6M
Softball
— · 25 W
$447K
Soccer
— · 24 W
$316K
Tennis
10 M · 8 W
$538K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
8.22
25 offenses · 3,041 students

3-year trend

7.582 yrs ago7.551 yr ago8.22Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
63
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
7
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
14
Aggravated assault
8
Motor vehicle theft
2
Rape
1

By location

25total
  • On campus25

Includes 12 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

3
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
1
Stalking
4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons67
Drugs1555
Liquor25

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
19.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
128

South Carolina State vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions South Carolina State selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectSouth Carolina State University
37%—3,242$18,097Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
University of South Carolina Aiken
40%78.5%4,022$11,641Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Savannah State University
28%46.1%3,193$8,172Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Alcorn State University
56%45.3%2,995$13,265Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Fairmont State University
44%98.6%3,305$9,032Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Fort Valley State University
41%65.9%2,897$10,338Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Peer group median41%65.9%3,218$10,990

Institutions like South Carolina State

Explore the federal data for institutions in South Carolina State's comparison group.

IPEDS

South Carolina State Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Reports to Institutional Effectiveness and Research
Email
cberry [at] scsu.edu
Phone
803-536-8961
Address
Lowman Hall, 3rd Floor, Room 316, 300 College Street NE, Orangeburg, SC 29117

The mission of the Office of Institutional Research is to collect, analyze, report, and provide data for the enhancement of programs and services and effective decision making.

Visit IR office page
Team
2 members
  • Cammie S. Berry
    Director, Institutional Research
  • LaShana D. Glen-Hall, Ph.D.
    Statistical Research Analyst III

Common Data Set

South Carolina State's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Source publications

Frequently asked questions about South Carolina State University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about South Carolina State.

What is the graduation rate at South Carolina State University?

South Carolina State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 37% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend South Carolina State University?

South Carolina State University reports a total enrollment of 3,242 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at South Carolina State University?

The average net price at South Carolina State University is $18,097 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at South Carolina State University?

South Carolina State University's yield rate is 11.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is South Carolina State University located?

South Carolina State University is located in Orangeburg, South Carolina 29117-0001.

Who runs Institutional Research at South Carolina State University?

South Carolina State University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research, which reports to Institutional Effectiveness and Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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