I am going to be direct with you from the beginning: some of these figures are encouraging, and others are hard. I am not going to soften or exaggerate them. My job is to explain them clearly so that you can decide what to do with them.
Who this university is, in a nutshell
South Carolina State University is in Orangeburg, South Carolina, in a town setting far from large cities. It is not a school in an urban area. If your family does not live nearby, you will need to figure out separately where your child would live and how your child would get around, because this information only identifies the school's location, not its distance from your home.
It is a four-year public institution, and the federal system records it as offering programs through the doctoral level, its highest reported level. That does not mean the major your child is interested in has a pathway from undergraduate to graduate study: you need to verify the specific program.
Carnegie, the system that classifies U.S. universities by what they do, describes it as a four-year, highly residential master's university with smaller programs: based on 2019-20 data, at least half of its undergraduate students lived in housing owned, controlled, or affiliated with the institution, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time. “Highly residential” is not the same as “inexpensive to live there”: room and board are charged separately from tuition, and they are almost never presented together in the brochure. Ask for them separately before comparing this school with any other.
There are two more labels worth knowing. In the 2023 federal file, South Carolina State University is identified as a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) and a Land Grant Institution. These are two different histories about the origin of the same school. They tell you where it comes from. They do not tell you what the classroom is like today or whom it admits this year. Do not read them as a verdict on the quality of support your child will receive there. That is reflected in things with names: which student center exists, which scholarship applies, and who answers the phone in April.
The size of the community and who makes it up
South Carolina State University had 3,041 students enrolled in the official fall count: 2,762 undergraduates and 279 graduate students. It is primarily a medium-sized bachelor's-degree-granting school. Compared with the 519 selective-admission, four-year public schools in this census, it is on the smaller side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, have more students. Being large does not provide more options, and being small does not guarantee more attention for your child. Always ask about the specific major, not the school's total size.
There are two composition figures that deserve your attention. The first: the percentage of undergraduate students reported as Hispanic or Latino rounds to zero. IPEDS publishes whole numbers, so a rounded zero does not mean there is no one—it means almost no one. Among the 519 schools in its comparison group, it reports one of the lowest shares: nine out of ten of those schools reported a higher share. Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, nor would having many make it good by itself. If your child will be one of the few, ask what student groups and support services exist, and speak with a student there before deciding.
The second: there are more women than men among undergraduates, 56 out of every 100. Slightly more than half of first-time students—73 out of every 100—reported a permanent address in South Carolina when they applied. And there are almost no adult students: only 4 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old.
How academics work
The academic year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks. The school reported accepting credit from AP exams as well as what the government calls “credit for life experience”—independent study, work experience, licenses, prior certifications, and even military training. It also enrolls high school students in college-credit courses through a formal dual enrollment program.
Here is a hard truth that families discover too late if they do not ask beforehand: saying that the school accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam. This information does not say what score is required or whether those credits count toward your child's specific major. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
In the most recently reported year, the school awarded 232 bachelor's degrees across 21 different fields of study. None accounts for a large share: the most popular, business and management, represented only 16 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year. Compared with 514 similar schools, it is in the quarter that awards the fewest degrees per year. The offerings are broad and distributed, but it is worth verifying that the exact program your child is interested in is available, not just the broader field of study.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 19 to 1. On the overall scale, this falls in the middle range, but compared specifically with schools of the same type, it is in the highest quarter—that is, on the side with more students per instructor. Both interpretations are true at the same time, and neither tells you the actual size of a first-year class: that is not included in this data point.
The institution also reports structured pathways: study abroad, a complete program that can be taken only at night or on weekends, and pathways to teacher certification, including state approval of the program.
Admission: the door opens more often than many people think
Here is one of the most important figures in this entire article. South Carolina State University does not have open admission—it reviews specific items before saying yes. Of the nine considerations recorded by the federal system, it marked three as required: the high school record, the high school GPA, and the English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. Other items—class rank, college-preparatory course plan, essay, letters of recommendation, and work experience—are not required, but they are considered if you submit them. The application fee is $25.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask today whether the English proficiency exam applies. It is marked as required when applicable, and it is exactly the kind of requirement families discover too late.
Now for the figure I want you to understand clearly: of the 9,830 first-time applicants in the 2023 cycle, 8,034 received an offer of admission. That is 82 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, this is a common share, slightly below the midpoint of the group, but the message for your child is simple: applying makes sense, and submitting a complete application on time makes even more sense. Still, this number comes from a single cycle. Check it again when it is your child's turn.
The SAT and ACT are not considered in the admission decision, even if they are submitted. This does not say whether they are used for scholarships or placement—ask about that separately.
Here is a figure that may be surprising and must be read carefully. For every 100 students admitted in 2023, only 13 enrolled. Put another way: out of every 8 young people who received a yes, roughly one ultimately accepted the place. Do not read this as a stain on the school—the federal record does not say why each person made that decision, and it cannot serve as a verdict on quality. What it does tell you is this: what other people decided does not predict what the school will offer you. Wait for your own letter with the actual net price, and decide with that number in hand.
Regarding transfers: among the bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 29 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing here. This share is on the high side compared with similar schools. This is important when you compare graduation rates later: a student who transfers does not count as a graduate of this school, even if the student completes the degree elsewhere. And the fact that many transfer does not mean they did poorly—the report counts the move, not the outcome.
The price: two numbers, and a gap you need to ask about
At South Carolina State University, among 286 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $17,089. Among 80 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $19,611; among 21 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $25,130. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (286 students) and the average for the highest-income band (21 students) is $8,041. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship, the average was $17,928.
Among the 519 schools of the same type and control included in this census that reported this data with the same time coverage, this school falls in the most expensive quarter for the lowest-income families. That does not mean you should rule it out. It means you need to request the financial aid letter before deciding.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for grant or scholarship recipients, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
How it is paid for: grants, Pell, and loans
Of every 100 degree-seeking students here, 84 received some grant or other aid that does not have to be repaid, with an average of $11,704 among recipients. Compared with similar schools, it is in the quarter where grants reach the most students. Pell—the federal aid for low-income families—reached 69 out of every 100 students. Receiving this aid here is neither rare nor exceptional: half the group or more receives it.
But debt also needs to be discussed, because it is common here. Of every 100 undergraduate students, 66 received a federal student loan, averaging $6,668 per student that year. Compared with similar schools, it is among those with the largest shares of students who have loans: nine out of ten schools in the group reported a lower share. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the program's four years, the total would be around $26,672, not including interest. That calculation is made before the first signature, not at the end.
The fact that borrowing is common here does not determine whether your child will need it. That depends on the specific financial aid letter and the difference between the net price and what your family can pay. If debt appears in the letter, ask for the estimated monthly payment before accepting it. And remember: that average of $6,668 is for a single year and only for federal loans in the student's name. It does not include parent PLUS loans, bank debt, or credit cards, nor does it represent the total debt at graduation—that would require adding all four years, and that number is not in this report.
The institution also offers an installment tuition payment plan if you prefer to divide the cost instead of paying it all at once.
Campus life and available support
South Carolina State University has its own housing, with reported capacity for 1,460 students on or off campus. According to the institution itself, not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there. It also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in its largest plan. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed is available: ask in writing for the year's rate, the application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or put on a waiting list.
ROTC is available, with the Army branch confirmed in writing; Navy and Air Force are not marked in this report, which does not mean they are impossible—it means you need to ask directly.
The school competes in intercollegiate sports and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported participation in football, basketball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child wants to play, the affiliation belongs to the school, not to your child: write to the coach for the sport and ask in writing whether there is a place on the team and whether that sport offers scholarships.
It offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, although it is a minority mode of attendance in practice: only 2 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance; the other 98 took at least one class in person.
The library operates with paid staff and annual spending above the $100,000 threshold recorded by the government, has physical and digital materials, and participates in interlibrary lending. The institution also reports academic and career counseling services, student employment, placement services for graduates, a point of contact for veterans and military personnel, and a webpage dedicated to services for people with disabilities.
Persistence and graduation: the part you need to face directly
This is where I need to be most honest with you, because these are the hardest figures in the entire article.
Of the cohort of full-time students who entered in fall 2022, 59 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed a bachelor's degree one year later. Compared with 519 similar schools, it is among those that retain the smallest share of their cohort: nine out of ten of those schools retained a higher share.
Regarding graduation: of the 561 students who entered in 2017 full time and without prior college attendance, 165 had graduated here six years later. That is 29 out of every 100. At four years—the timeframe most families budget for—the figure is only 14 out of every 100. Compared with 518 similar schools, it is at the very bottom of the group: nine out of ten reported a higher share graduating within six years.
It is worth looking at what happened to the rest of that cohort of 561, because the number alone does not tell the whole story: 160 transferred to another institution without completing here, 30 were still enrolled without having completed, and 206 fell into the federal category of “no longer enrolled”—which does not explain why and may include those who graduated after the deadline. Transferring does not demonstrate failure; nor does it demonstrate success elsewhere. It is incomplete information that needs to be filled in by asking the school direct questions.
There is a third measurement, at eight years, for a different cohort of 686 students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016. As of August 2023, 33 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 32 out of every 100—only 4 points below the group without Pell. Compared with its group of similar schools, it is also at the very bottom of that group.
None of these numbers tells you how much each person paid or how long each actually took, and none predicts what will happen specifically to your child. But they are a clear signal to ask one very specific question before signing anything: how long it typically takes to complete the program your child is interested in, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the path extends beyond four years. Asked in time, that question is worth more than any national average.
Putting the pieces together
You now know an important part of the decision: who this university is, what it requires for admission, how much it costs under its two price measures, how students pay in practice, and how likely a student is, according to historical data, to reach graduation within the timeframe your family can sustain.
None of these numbers decides for your child. The graduation rate is not a verdict on your child, and the accessible admission rate is not a guarantee that this is the right school.
A plan grows from that combination, not from a single number.
Source note: the information in this article comes from data reported by South Carolina State University to the U.S. Department of Education's IPEDS system, primarily from the 2023 cycle and the 2023-24 academic year, with some graduation and persistence figures corresponding to earlier cohorts as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent South Carolina State University or the U.S. government; this article organizes and explains previously reported public information.