South Carolina · Business/Commerce

Best colleges for Business/Commerce in South Carolina

Ranked by graduate earnings

Horry-Georgetown Technical College, York Technical College and Piedmont Technical College are the top Business/Commerce programs in South Carolina by graduate earnings. Horry-Georgetown Technical College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $36,679, College Scorecard. Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Citadel Military College of South Carolina and Trident Technical College award the most Business/Commerce degrees and certificates in South Carolina: 235, 186 and 124 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 19 South Carolina colleges offer Business/Commerce and award 1,276 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Business/Commerce program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of business management, marketing, and related services. This program is ideal for those interested in pursuing a career in…

Institutions
19
offering CIP 52.01
States & territories
53
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,276
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$33,870
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
5
College Scorecard
Median net price
$21,848
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
35%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · General and Operations Managers
$127,450
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 5 institutions, 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.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Horry-Georgetown Technical College
Conway Public · Associate degree
$36,67923538%—$26,100
2York Technical College
Rock Hill Public · Associate degree
$33,8702830%—$11,000
3Piedmont Technical College
Greenwood Public · Associate degree
$33,4868533%—$26,547
4Strayer University - South Carolina
Greenville Private for-profit · Bachelor's degree Online
$55,43130117%$22,134$56,517
5Coker University
Hartsville Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree Small program
$30,285940%$17,749$27,000

Colleges awarding the most Business/Commerce degrees in South Carolina

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1Horry-Georgetown Technical College
Conway Public
235$36,679
2Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston Public
186Not reported
3Trident Technical College
Charleston Public
124Not reported
4Tri-County Technical College
Pendleton Public
99Not reported
5Piedmont Technical College
Greenwood Public
85$33,486
6University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia Public
52Not reported
7York Technical College
Rock Hill Public
28$33,870
8South Carolina State University
Orangeburg Public
21Not reported
9Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College
Orangeburg Public
19Not reported
10Coker University
Hartsville Private not-for-profit
9$30,285
Show the other 9 South Carolina colleges offering Business/Commerce
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Strayer University - South Carolina (Online)GreenvillePrivate for-profit301
University of South Carolina-LancasterLancasterPublic47
Technical College of the LowcountryBeaufortPublic22
Northeastern Technical CollegeCherawPublic20
Midlands Technical CollegeWest ColumbiaPublic11
Denmark Technical CollegeDenmarkPublic10
North Greenville UniversityTigervillePrivate not-for-profit3
Charleston Southern UniversityCharlestonPrivate not-for-profit2
Williamsburg Technical CollegeKingstreePublic2

Career outlook

What this program leads to: General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.4%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~308,700
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$102,950
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringCritical ThinkingActive Learning

What General and Operations Managers earn in South Carolina

Jobs in South Carolina
32,230
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$127,450
median $106,080
Best-paying metro
$132,170
Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Related careers

General and Operations Managers
$127,450 avg · 32,230 jobs
Project Management Specialists
$101,350 avg · 17,040 jobs
Management Analysts
$112,690 avg · 12,340 jobs
Sales Managers
$143,660 avg · 9,340 jobs
Industrial Production Managers
$136,170 avg · 6,390 jobs
Construction Managers
$123,420 avg · 5,620 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Business/Commerce programs in South Carolina.

Which South Carolina colleges award the most Business/Commerce degrees?+

Horry-Georgetown Technical College (235 graduates a year), Citadel Military College of South Carolina (186 graduates a year) and Trident Technical College (124 graduates a year) award the most Business/Commerce degrees and certificates in South Carolina, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 19 South Carolina colleges offer Business/Commerce.

What is the best college for Business/Commerce in South Carolina?+

By graduate earnings, Horry-Georgetown Technical College leads among Business/Commerce programs in South Carolina, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $36,679, College Scorecard. York Technical College and Piedmont Technical College follow. By degrees awarded, Horry-Georgetown Technical College is the largest, with 235 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Business/Commerce program in South Carolina has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Horry-Georgetown Technical College tops the list at $36,679. 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/Commerce program?+

The Business/Commerce program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the principles and practices of business management, marketing, and related services. This program is ideal for those interested in pursuing a career in…

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.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
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.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
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.

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