10-yr median earnings
$34,421
Federal aid recipients only
Private For-Profit · Columbia, South Carolina
South University-Columbia
South University-Columbia is a private for-profit institution in Columbia, South Carolina. as a private for-profit, published Scorecard outcomes are Title-IV-recipient medians — program mix and repayment risk deserve a closer look than a single headline number.
- 12.5%
- 150%-time completion
- $27,693
- Avg net price / yr
- $34,421
- 10-yr median earnings
The verdict
South University-Columbia posts modest former-student earnings.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- 30th pct.
- former-student earnings, US
- 12.5%
- 150%-time completion
- +1%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Large
Carnegie: Doctoral/Prof
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this South University-Columbia profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral/Professional Universities"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
F
College Value Score
17/100
South University-Columbia
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings F
$34,421
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$27,693
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
12.5%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$26,123
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment F
45.3%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
57.1%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$27,693
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
12.5%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 12.5%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - South University-Columbia vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How South University-Columbia ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
South University-Columbia: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$34,421 30th percentile higher than 30% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | South University-Columbia | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $34,421 | #3556 of 5103 | 30th |
| Average net price | $27,693 | #4237 of 5020 | 16th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 12.5% | #4813 of 4858 | 1st |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 450 | #2951 of 5462 | 46th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
450
Undergraduate enrollment
-
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
12.5%
150%-time completion
$34,421
10-yr median earnings
57.1%
First-year retention
How South University-Columbia ranks in South Carolina
State rank among 78 reporting South Carolina colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | South University-Columbia | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $34,421 | #51 of 78 | 35th |
| Average net price | $27,693 | #77 of 82 | 6th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 12.5% | #77 of 77 | 0th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 450 | #52 of 83 | 37th |
Highest former-student earnings in South Carolina
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical University of South Carolina | $88,420 | - |
| 2 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | $72,085 | $20,723 |
| 3 | Clemson University | $71,513 | $22,253 |
| 4 | Wofford College | $68,964 | $18,732 |
| 5 | Furman University | $68,635 | $30,308 |
| 6 | University of South Carolina-Columbia | $62,177 | $22,811 |
| 7 | Galen Health Institutes-Myrtle Beach | $61,480 | $25,662 |
| 8 | Presbyterian College | $60,194 | $20,528 |
| 9 | College of Charleston | $56,416 | $18,960 |
| 10 | Erskine College | $53,459 | $16,525 |
| 11 | University of South Carolina-Upstate | $48,587 | $13,557 |
| 12 | University of South Carolina Beaufort | $48,088 | $14,656 |
| 51 | South University-ColumbiaThis school | $34,421 | $27,693 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at South University-Columbia
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$26,588 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$30,474 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$32,022 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at South University-Columbia - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $18,145 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $18,145 |
| Average Net Price | $27,693 |
58.0%
Pell Grant Rate
64.7%
Federal Loan Rate
$26,123
Median Debt
$277/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at South University-Columbia swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $19,249 to $24,139 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -4.8%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$19,249
Highest year
$24,139
Most recent (2023)
$22,886
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $24,0502023 · $22,886
Over the same years, enrollment went -61.9% (1,167 → 445 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
76.3%
Female
47.2%
First Generation
Outcomes
57.1%
Retention Rate
$34,115
Median Earnings (6yr)
58.0%
Earning Over $25K
45.3%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 12.5% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 57.1% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $34,115 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $34,421 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 58.0% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 45.3% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $26,123 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $277/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 9 | 57 | $53,260 | $91,363 | $41,396 |
| Master's | 6 | 57 | $69,556 | $119,307 | $50,400 |
| Graduate Certificate | 1 | 2 | $120,256 | $120,256 | $46,988 |
| Associate's | 1 | 29 | $50,681 | $50,681 | $23,000 |
Top programs at South University-Columbia by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$120,256 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$119,307 median earnings
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$91,363 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$74,209 median earnings
- Health and Medical Adminis…
Health and Medical Administrative Services
$65,167 median earnings
- Information Science/Studies
Information Science/Studies
$58,915 median earnings
- Criminal Justice and Corre…
Criminal Justice and Corrections
$55,950 median earnings
- Mental and Social Health S…
Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
$55,052 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Scorecard-derived matches among reporting colleges — not school marketing or paid placement lists.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private For-Profit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Alliant International University-San Diego
San Diego, CA
391 students · 59 apart
University of Management and Technology
Arlington, VA
294 students · 156 apart
California Intercontinental University
Sioux Falls, SD
151 students · 299 apart
National American University-Rapid City
Rapid City, SD
764 students · 314 apart
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private For-Profit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the admissions statistics for South University-Columbia? ▼
South University-Columbia is a private for-profit institution in Columbia, South Carolina. Undergraduate enrollment is 450 students.
How much do South University-Columbia former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at South University-Columbia who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $34,421 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $34,115.
How much does South University-Columbia cost? ▼
The average net price at South University-Columbia is $27,693. In-state tuition is $18,145 and out-of-state tuition is $18,145. Median student debt at graduation is $26,123.
What is the graduation rate at South University-Columbia? ▼
South University-Columbia has a 12.5% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 57.1%.
Is South University-Columbia worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at South University-Columbia is $26,123, while former students earn a median of $34,421 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 76% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 45.3% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $277.
Sources & methodology
Private for-profit profiles foreground Scorecard debt, repayment, and program-level earnings where reported. Marketing claims from the school are not inputs to this page.
Every figure is the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrieval. For-profit program mixes can shift year to year — treat institution medians as a starting map, then check Field-of-Study rows below. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from South University-Columbia
- Compare South University-Columbia against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in South Carolina side by side.Browse South Carolina
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
For-profit Scorecard figures are Title-IV cohort history — verify current program costs, accreditation, and repayment outcomes with the school and official aid tools.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private for-profit profiles compile Scorecard debt/earnings and IPEDS operating fields from federal files — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.