South Carolina · Sports

Best colleges for Sports in South Carolina

Ranked by graduate earnings

Citadel Military College of South Carolina, University of South Carolina-Columbia and Newberry College are the top bachelor's Sports programs in South Carolina by graduate earnings. Citadel Military College of South Carolina leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,727, College Scorecard. University of South Carolina-Columbia, Coastal Carolina University and Winthrop University award the most Sports degrees in South Carolina: 357, 287 and 66 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 24 South Carolina colleges offer Sports and award 1,356 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Sports program, officially titled Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, focuses on the study of physical activity, fitness, and recreation. This program is designed for individuals interested in promoting health and…

Related programs you can study
Institutions
24
offering CIP 31.05
States & territories
53
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,356
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$28,319
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
13
College Scorecard
Median net price
$20,327
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
51%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Exercise Physiologists
$47,810
BLS OEWS May 2025

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.

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
1Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston Public · Bachelor's degree
$43,7275875%—$22,250
2University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia Public · Bachelor's degree
$40,70235779%—$25,000
3Newberry College
Newberry Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$33,1595645%$20,306$28,375
4Bob Jones University
Greenville Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$32,4813565%$18,053$23,000
5Winthrop University
Rock Hill Public · Bachelor's degree
$30,5276657%—$27,000
6Coker University
Hartsville Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$28,3193640%$17,749$26,475
7Coastal Carolina University
Conway Public · Bachelor's degree
$27,92028748%—$26,997
8North Greenville University
Tigerville Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$27,5372555%$20,327$28,000
9Anderson University
Anderson Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$27,3405766%$24,812$27,000
10Lander University
Greenwood Public · Bachelor's degree
$27,1554050%—$24,995

Colleges awarding the most Sports 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.

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)
1University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia Public
357$40,702
2Coastal Carolina University
Conway Public
287$27,920
3Winthrop University
Rock Hill Public
66$30,527
4Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston Public
58$43,727
5Anderson University
Anderson Private not-for-profit
57$27,340
6Newberry College
Newberry Private not-for-profit
56$33,159
7Clemson University
Clemson Public
55Not reported
8Furman University
Greenville Private not-for-profit
41Not reported
9Lander University
Greenwood Public
40$27,155
10Charleston Southern University
Charleston Private not-for-profit
39$26,722
Show the other 14 South Carolina colleges offering Sports
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Coker UniversityHartsvillePrivate not-for-profit36
Bob Jones UniversityGreenvillePrivate not-for-profit35
University of South Carolina AikenAikenPublic35
Benedict CollegeColumbiaPrivate not-for-profit30
Claflin UniversityOrangeburgPrivate not-for-profit30
North Greenville UniversityTigervillePrivate not-for-profit25
Allen UniversityColumbiaPrivate not-for-profit23
Columbia International UniversityColumbiaPrivate not-for-profit17
Erskine CollegeDue WestPrivate not-for-profit17
Columbia CollegeColumbiaPrivate not-for-profit14
Southern Wesleyan UniversityCentralPrivate not-for-profit11
South Carolina State UniversityOrangeburgPublic10
Voorhees UniversityDenmarkPrivate not-for-profit10
York Technical CollegeRock HillPublic7

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Exercise Physiologists (SOC 29-1128).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+9.5%
Much faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~1,700
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$58,160
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Critical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionWritingMonitoring

What Exercise Physiologists earn in South Carolina

Jobs in South Carolina
230
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$47,810
median $46,550
Best-paying metro
$51,020
Columbia, SC

Related careers

Exercise Trainers and Group Fitness Instructors
$43,370 avg · 5,130 jobs
Coaches and Scouts
$55,180 avg · 3,310 jobs
Athletic Trainers
$58,820 avg · 530 jobs
Entertainment and Recreation Managers, Except Gambling
$88,130 avg · 440 jobs
Athletes and Sports Competitors
$53,180 avg · 280 jobs
Recreation and Fitness Studies Teachers, Postsecondary
$88,820 avg · 280 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Sports programs in South Carolina.

Which South Carolina colleges award the most Sports degrees?+

University of South Carolina-Columbia (357 graduates a year), Coastal Carolina University (287 graduates a year) and Winthrop University (66 graduates a year) award the most Sports degrees in South Carolina, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 24 South Carolina colleges offer Sports.

What is the best college for Sports in South Carolina?+

By graduate earnings, Citadel Military College of South Carolina leads among bachelor's Sports programs in South Carolina, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $43,727, College Scorecard. University of South Carolina-Columbia and Newberry College follow. By degrees awarded, University of South Carolina-Columbia is the largest, with 357 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Sports program in South Carolina has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Citadel Military College of South Carolina tops the list at $43,727. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Exercise Physiologists earn in South Carolina?+

The average annual wage for Exercise Physiologists in South Carolina is $47,810 (median $46,550), across about 230 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Sports program?+

The Sports program, officially titled Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, focuses on the study of physical activity, fitness, and recreation. This program is designed for individuals interested in promoting health and…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop critical thinking, active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Exercise Physiologists?+

The national job outlook is about +9.5% growth with around 1,700 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).

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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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