Best General programs in South Carolina, ranked by enrollment
Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations.
52 schools in South Carolina run programs that feed this job, graduating 7,722 people a year. The job pays a median of $106,080 in South Carolina across about 32,230 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in South Carolina that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
10 programs in South Carolina that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in South Carolina (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own South Carolina page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 52.0201In South Carolina → | 4,177 | 54.1% | 43 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
| 2 | Business/Commerce, Generalmain feeder CIP 52.0101In South Carolina → | 1,276 | 16.5% | 19 | $44,700 | $24,000 |
| 3 | CIP 52.0801In South Carolina → | 1,165 | 15.1% | 11 | $53,572 | $23,672 |
| 4 | International Business/Trade/Commercemain feeder CIP 52.1101In South Carolina → | 377 | 4.9% | 2 | $51,261 | $23,361 |
| 5 | Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studiesmain feeder CIP 52.0701In South Carolina → | 237 | 3.1% | 10 | $43,803 | $23,374 |
| 6 | Management Sciencemain feeder CIP 52.1301In South Carolina → | 218 | 2.8% | 2 | $62,069 | $23,500 |
| 7 | CIP 31.0301In South Carolina → | 168 | 2.2% | 2 | $33,076 | $25,000 |
| 8 | Public Administrationmain feeder CIP 44.0401In South Carolina → | 67 | 0.9% | 6 | $45,374 | $26,000 |
| 9 | Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Managementmain feeder CIP 52.0206In South Carolina → | 35 | 0.5% | 2 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
| 10 | Retail Managementmain feeder CIP 52.0212In South Carolina → | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $43,506 | $25,000 |
Top 25 schools in South Carolina
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 34 of the 52 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson University Clemson, SC Public · 4 feeder programs | 1,325 | Business Administration and Management, General | $47,260 | 87% | — | 38% |
| 2 | University of South Carolina - Columbia Columbia, SC Public · 8 feeder programs | 1,288 | Finance, General | $62,231 | 79% | — | 60% |
| 3 | College of Charleston Charleston, SC Public · 4 feeder programs | 471 | Business Administration and Management, General | $41,299 | 66% | — | 60% |
| 4 | Lander University Greenwood, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 387 | Business Administration and Management, General | $37,208 | 50% | — | 81% |
| 5 | University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 371 | Business Administration and Management, General | $44,816 | 40% | — | 79% |
| 6 | Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC Public · 2 feeder programs | 366 | Business Administration and Management, General | $41,953 | 48% | — | 75% |
| 7 | Strayer University - South Carolina Greenville, SC Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 348 | Business/Commerce, General | $55,431 | 17% | $22,134 | — |
| 8 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC Public · 3 feeder programs | 269 | Business/Commerce, General | — | 75% | — | 23% |
| 9 | Horry - Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 235 | Business/Commerce, General | $36,679 | 38% | — | — |
| 10 | Trident Technical College Charleston, SC Public · 3 feeder programs | 219 | Business/Commerce, General | — | 30% | — | — |
| 11 | Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC Public · 1 feeder programs | 180 | Business Administration and Management, General | $44,568 | 57% | — | 79% |
| 12 | Piedmont Technical College Greenwood, SC Public · 2 feeder programs | 174 | Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies | — | 33% | — | — |
| 13 | Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC Public · 2 feeder programs | 156 | Business Administration and Management, General | $44,362 | 21% | — | — |
| 14 | Tri - County Technical College Pendleton, SC Public · 2 feeder programs | 114 | Business/Commerce, General | — | 42% | — | — |
| 15 | Columbia International University Columbia, SC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 107 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | 47% | $21,361 | 94% |
| 16 | Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg, SC Public · 2 feeder programs | 102 | Business Administration and Management, General | $31,087 | 28% | — | — |
| 17 | Charleston Southern University Charleston, SC Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 94 | Business Administration and Management, General | $64,920 | 47% | $21,848 | 96% |
| 18 | York Technical College Rock Hill, SC Public · 3 feeder programs | 90 | Business Administration and Management, General | $43,096 | 30% | — | — |
| 19 | Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg, SC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 86 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | 43% | $16,728 | 78% |
| 20 | Anderson University Anderson, SC Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 83 | Business Administration and Management, General | $49,754 | 66% | $24,812 | 55% |
| 21 | Benedict College Columbia, SC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 81 | Business Administration and Management, General | $28,419 | 24% | $19,589 | 96% |
| 22 | Furman University Greenville, SC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 75 | Business Administration and Management, General | $49,008 | 79% | $24,932 | 43% |
| 23 | North Greenville University Tigerville, SC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 71 | Business Administration and Management, General | $41,041 | 55% | $20,327 | 67% |
| 24 | Wofford College Spartanburg, SC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 68 | Finance, General | $57,335 | 84% | $24,459 | 52% |
| 25 | Central Carolina Technical College Sumter, SC Public · 2 feeder programs | 67 | Business Administration and Management, General | — | 34% | — | — |
All 52 schools in South Carolina
Every school in South Carolina with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson University | Clemson | Public | 1,325 | 4 |
| University of South Carolina - Columbia | Columbia | Public | 1,288 | 8 |
| College of Charleston | Charleston | Public | 471 | 4 |
| Lander University | Greenwood | Public | 387 | 1 |
| University of South Carolina Aiken | Aiken | Public | 371 | 1 |
| Coastal Carolina University | Conway | Public | 366 | 2 |
| Strayer University - South Carolina | Greenville | Private for-profit | 348 | 3 |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | Charleston | Public | 269 | 3 |
| Horry - Georgetown Technical College | Conway | Public | 235 | 1 |
| Trident Technical College | Charleston | Public | 219 | 3 |
| Winthrop University | Rock Hill | Public | 180 | 1 |
| Piedmont Technical College | Greenwood | Public | 174 | 2 |
| Greenville Technical College | Greenville | Public | 156 | 2 |
| Tri - County Technical College | Pendleton | Public | 114 | 2 |
| Columbia International University | Columbia | Private not-for-profit | 107 | 1 |
What general and operations managers earn in South Carolina
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $105,770. South Carolina pays above the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in South Carolina
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national General and Operations Managers page.
How to become a General
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- Work experience needed
- 5 years or more
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in South Carolina
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 15 majors mapped to General and Operations Managers15 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 01.8202Veterinary Office Management/Administration
- 31.0301Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, General
- 31.0399Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management, Other
- 44.0401Public Administration
- 52.0101Business/Commerce, General
- 52.0201Business Administration and Management, General
- 52.0206Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management
- 52.0212Retail Management
- 52.0215Risk Management
- 52.0701Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
- 52.0704Social Entrepreneurship
- 52.0801Finance, General
- 52.0810Financial Risk Management
- 52.1101International Business/Trade/Commerce
- 52.1301Management Science
Common questions
Answers for people weighing general and operations managers programs in South Carolina.
What degree do you need to become a General?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Business Administration and Management, General, which awarded 4,177 degrees in South Carolina in 2024-25, 54.1% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming a General?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 10 programs to this occupation. The largest are Business Administration, Business/Commerce, Finance and Financial Management Services, International Business, plus 4 more. Together they graduate about 7,722 people a year in South Carolina.
How much do general and operations managers earn in South Carolina?+
The median is $106,080 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.3% above the U.S. median of $105,770. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for general and operations managers growing?+
BLS projects a +4.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 308,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in South Carolina?+
52 institutions in South Carolina reported graduates from at least one of the 10 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do general and operations managers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Store Manager, Operations Manager, Operations Director, General Manager (GM) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-1021.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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