Best colleges for Business Administration in South Carolina
Ranked by graduate earnings
Charleston Southern University, Southern Wesleyan University and Citadel Military College of South Carolina are the top bachelor's Business Administration programs in South Carolina by graduate earnings. Charleston Southern University leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $64,920, College Scorecard. Clemson University, Lander University and University of South Carolina Aiken award the most Business Administration degrees in South Carolina: 780, 387 and 371 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 44 South Carolina colleges offer Business Administration and award 4,750 degrees and certificates a year in all.
The Business Administration program, officially titled Business Administration, Management and Operations, equips students with essential skills for managing and leading organizations. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to…
Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings
Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charleston Southern University Charleston Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $64,920 | 127 | 47% | $21,848 | $27,000 |
| 2 | Southern Wesleyan University Central Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $52,070 | 53 | 52% | $19,568 | $40,323 |
| 3 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston Public · Bachelor's degree | $50,004 | 93 | 75% | — | $22,726 |
| 4 | Anderson University Anderson Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $49,754 | 113 | 66% | $24,812 | $29,375 |
| 5 | Furman University Greenville Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $49,008 | 75 | 79% | $24,932 | $19,500 |
| 6 | University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,993 | 272 | 79% | — | $26,000 |
| 7 | Clemson University Clemson Public · Bachelor's degree | $47,260 | 780 | 87% | — | $24,225 |
| 8 | University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken Public · Bachelor's degree | $44,816 | 371 | 40% | — | $28,725 |
| 9 | Winthrop University Rock Hill Public · Bachelor's degree | $44,568 | 188 | 57% | — | $27,000 |
| 10 | Bob Jones University Greenville Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree | $44,419 | 50 | 65% | $18,053 | $20,000 |
Top 4 certificate and associate programs
Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
| # | Institution | Starting salary (1 yr) | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | York Technical College Rock Hill Public · Associate degree | $43,096 | 52 | 30% | — | $12,250 |
| 2 | Greenville Technical College Greenville Public · Associate degree | $44,362 | 135 | 21% | — | $29,397 |
| 3 | Midlands Technical College West Columbia Public · Associate degree | $31,245 | 32 | 18% | — | $22,500 |
| 4 | Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg Public · Associate degree | $31,087 | 104 | 28% | — | $11,820 |
Colleges awarding the most Business Administration degrees in South Carolina
Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Starting salary (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson University Clemson Public | 780 | $47,260 |
| 2 | Lander University Greenwood Public | 387 | $37,208 |
| 3 | University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken Public | 371 | $44,816 |
| 4 | College of Charleston Charleston Public | 333 | $41,299 |
| 5 | Coastal Carolina University Conway Public | 281 | $41,953 |
| 6 | University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia Public | 272 | $47,993 |
| 7 | Winthrop University Rock Hill Public | 188 | $44,568 |
| 8 | Columbia International University Columbia Private not-for-profit | 171 | Not reported |
| 9 | Charleston Southern University Charleston Private not-for-profit | 127 | $64,920 |
| 10 | Anderson University Anderson Private not-for-profit | 113 | $49,754 |
ShowHide the other 34 South Carolina colleges offering Business Administration
| Institution | City | Control | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville Technical College | Greenville | Public | 135 |
| Spartanburg Community College | Spartanburg | Public | 104 |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | Charleston | Public | 93 |
| Spartanburg Methodist College | Spartanburg | Private not-for-profit | 86 |
| Trident Technical College | Charleston | Public | 84 |
| North Greenville University | Tigerville | Private not-for-profit | 81 |
| Converse University | Spartanburg | Private not-for-profit | 79 |
| Columbia College | Columbia | Private not-for-profit | 78 |
| Furman University | Greenville | Private not-for-profit | 75 |
| Benedict College | Columbia | Private not-for-profit | 72 |
| Newberry College | Newberry | Private not-for-profit | 69 |
| Francis Marion University | Florence | Public | 61 |
| Central Carolina Technical College | Sumter | Public | 54 |
| Southern Wesleyan University | Central | Private not-for-profit | 53 |
| York Technical College | Rock Hill | Public | 52 |
| Bob Jones University | Greenville | Private not-for-profit | 50 |
| University of South Carolina Beaufort | Bluffton | Public | 48 |
| Florence-Darlington Technical College | Florence | Public | 46 |
| University of South Carolina-Upstate | Spartanburg | Public | 46 |
| Strayer University - South Carolina (Online) | Greenville | Private for-profit | 46 |
| Erskine College | Due West | Private not-for-profit | 40 |
| Presbyterian College | Clinton | Private not-for-profit | 39 |
| Midlands Technical College | West Columbia | Public | 32 |
| South Carolina State University | Orangeburg | Public | 32 |
| Allen University | Columbia | Private not-for-profit | 30 |
| Coker University | Hartsville | Private not-for-profit | 27 |
| Claflin University | Orangeburg | Private not-for-profit | 26 |
| Morris College | Sumter | Private not-for-profit | 25 |
| South University - Columbia | Columbia | Private for-profit | 19 |
| Voorhees University | Denmark | Private not-for-profit | 16 |
| Aiken Technical College | Graniteville | Public | 12 |
| Clinton College | Rock Hill | Private not-for-profit | 10 |
| Technical College of the Lowcountry | Beaufort | Public | 5 |
| Northeastern Technical College | Cheraw | Public | 2 |
Career outlook
What this program leads to: General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021).
Top skills
What General and Operations Managers earn in South Carolina
Related careers
Common questions
Answers for students comparing Business Administration programs in South Carolina.
Which South Carolina colleges award the most Business Administration degrees?+
Clemson University (780 graduates a year), Lander University (387 graduates a year) and University of South Carolina Aiken (371 graduates a year) award the most Business Administration degrees in South Carolina, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 44 South Carolina colleges offer Business Administration.
What is the best college for Business Administration in South Carolina?+
By graduate earnings, Charleston Southern University leads among bachelor's Business Administration programs in South Carolina, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $64,920, College Scorecard. Southern Wesleyan University and Citadel Military College of South Carolina follow. By degrees awarded, Clemson University is the largest, with 780 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).
Which Business Administration program in South Carolina has the highest-earning graduates?+
By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Charleston Southern University tops the list at $64,920. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.
How much do General and Operations Managers earn in South Carolina?+
The average annual wage for General and Operations Managers in South Carolina is $127,450 (median $106,080), across about 32,230 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
What is the focus of the Business Administration program?+
The Business Administration program, officially titled Business Administration, Management and Operations, equips students with essential skills for managing and leading organizations. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to…
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, monitoring, and related professional skills.
What is the job outlook for General and Operations Managers?+
The national job outlook is about +4.4% growth with around 308,700 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).
What is the typical education requirement?+
A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).
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.
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card