Sumter, South Carolina Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)

Last updated: June 4, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

Executive Summary (TL;DR)

Colleges in Sumter, South Carolina: median public in-state tuition $7,558 (+32.6% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $37,276 (-37.2% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 94.0% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $12,775 (-5.4% vs U.S.) 3,262 students enrolled statewide.

Overview

Colleges and universities in Sumter serve students across South Carolina with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 3 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 3,262 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $7,558. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Sumter, South Carolina and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.

Related profiles

Sumter vs South Carolina & national benchmarks

Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.

State versus regional and national education metrics
Geography In-state tuition Net price Median debt Completion rate Enrollment
Sumter, South Carolina$7,558$11,119$12,77521.5%3,262
South Carolina (state median)$7,558$10,890$16,50049.0%199,420
United States$5,700$9,912$13,50049.3%14,465,291

Earnings & employment outcomes: Sumter, South Carolina vs benchmarks

Scorecard does not publish formal job-placement rates. We use the share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled (working ÷ working + not working) as a federal employment-outcome proxy. 2-yr and 3-yr default rates are federal cohort default shares (0–1 scale). We show 2-yr default as the primary benchmark; 3-yr default appears only when enough campuses report non-suppressed values (otherwise —). 3-yr repayment progress is the share of completers making progress on loans after 3 years. Sample: bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200. Medians pool campus-level values.

Earnings and employment outcome benchmarks
Geography Median earnings (10 yr) Working & not enrolled (8 yr) Retention (FT yr 1) 2-yr default 3-yr default 3-yr repayment progress Debt ÷ earnings
Sumter, South Carolina$37,27694.0%41.3%27.2%—22.0%0.67
South Carolina (state median)$49,44293.0%69.8%6.3%—66.1%0.46
United States$59,40193.0%76.4%5.0%—73.8%0.36

Other cities in South Carolina (3+ campuses)

Other cities in the same state with at least three reporting campuses.

Peer comparison table
City In-state tuition Net price Median debt Completion Enrollment Earnings (10 yr) Working (8 yr)
Sumter, South Carolina$7,558$11,119$12,77521.5%3,262$37,27694.0%
Columbia$18,145$22,197$21,47242.1%35,341$41,98690.1%
Columbia$18,145$22,197$21,47242.1%35,341$41,98690.1%
Columbia$18,145$22,197$21,47242.1%35,341$41,98690.1%
Charleston$12,978$20,661$17,50068.9%27,302$72,81494.2%
Charleston$12,978$20,661$17,50068.9%27,302$72,81494.2%
Conway$9,171$8,037$17,88854.2%16,651$54,70293.2%
Conway$9,171$8,037$17,88854.2%16,651$54,70293.2%
Greenville$18,484$15,592$15,64252.3%15,579$49,15889.5%
United States$5,700$9,912$13,50049.3%14,465,291$59,40193.0%

Top college in Sumter, South Carolina by entry-level earnings (1 yr post-completion, program)

Ranked by median program-level earnings one year after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; reflects completers in reported CIP programs, not all entrants.

  1. Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $29,089, Morris College

    Morris College

    Private nonprofit · 383 enrolled · Sumter

Top college in Sumter, South Carolina by early-career earnings (4 yr post-completion, program)

Ranked by median program-level earnings four years after completion (highest first). Enrollment ≥ 300; program cohort, not institution-wide median.

  1. Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $46,257, Morris College

    Morris College

    Private nonprofit · 383 enrolled · Sumter

Top college in Sumter, South Carolina by 10-year ROI

Ranked by 10-year return on investment (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 200 and a computed ROI in the EDsmart dataset.

  1. Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $30,987, Morris College

    Morris College

    Private nonprofit · 383 enrolled · Sumter

Most affordable college in Sumter, South Carolina (net price)

Ranked by lowest average net price (most affordable first). Uses overall net price, or mid-income bracket net price for public schools when available. Enrollment ≥ 300.

  1. Rank 1, Net Price, $25,203, Morris College

    Morris College

    Private nonprofit · 383 enrolled · Sumter

In-state tuition: Sumter, South Carolina vs benchmarks

Sticker price

Sumter, South Carolina median in-state tuition is $7,558, +32.6% vs the U.S. median.

Student debt: Sumter, South Carolina vs benchmarks

Borrowing

Median debt at graduation in Sumter, South Carolina is $12,775 (-5.4% vs U.S. median $13,500). Regional median: $15,558.

Median earnings (10 years out): Sumter, South Carolina vs benchmarks

Payoff

Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Sumter, South Carolina center around $37,276 (-37.2% vs U.S.).

Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.

Employment outcome proxy: Sumter, South Carolina vs benchmarks

Working & not enrolled

The share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled—our Scorecard employment proxy—is 94.0% at the median Sumter, South Carolina campus (+1.0 pp vs U.S.).

Percent of 8-year cohort working and not enrolled (not a formal placement rate).

Analysis & insights

EDsmart Data aggregates institution-level College Scorecard data for this profile. Highlights below compare local medians to U.S. and regional benchmarks.

Costs & borrowing

Sumter, South Carolina median public in-state tuition is $7,558, about +32.6% vs the national median. Versus the Southeast region, tuition is +46.6%.

Median graduate debt is $12,775 (-5.4% below the U.S. median of $13,500). Low sticker prices do not always mean low borrowing—living costs, time-to-degree, and aid mix matter.

Earnings, employment & retention

Among bachelor's-predominant campuses with ≥200 students, median 10-year earnings in Sumter, South Carolina are $37,276, about -37.2% vs the U.S. campus median ($59,401).

The median campus reports 94.0% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 93.0% (+1.0 pp). Formal job-placement statistics are not published in Scorecard; treat this as a comparative outcome indicator, not a hire guarantee.

First-year, full-time retention at the median campus is 41.3% vs a U.S. median of 76.4%—a leading indicator for completion and time-to-degree.

Loan repayment indicators at the median campus: 2-yr default 27.2% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 22.0% (U.S. 73.8%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.

Completion & workforce context

Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Sumter, South Carolina is 21.5% (national institution average about 49.3%).

Frequently Asked Questions

How many colleges are in Sumter?

This city profile covers 3 campuses in Sumter, South Carolina with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.

How much does college cost in Sumter?

Median in-state tuition in Sumter is $7,558 and median net price is $11,119. For South Carolina overall, medians are $7,558 and $10,890; U.S. medians are $5,700 and $9,912.

What do graduates earn in Sumter?

Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Sumter is $37,276 vs $49,442 for South Carolina and $59,401 nationally.

What is student debt like for Sumter colleges?

Median completer debt in Sumter is $12,775 vs $16,500 for South Carolina and $13,500 nationally.

Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Sumter?

Among 3 campuses in Sumter, South Carolina, 1 historically Black college or university (HBCU, IPEDS HBCU flag), including Morris College; 1 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campus (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: Baptist (1).

Sources & related