Spartanburg, South Carolina Colleges: Costs & Earnings (2026 stats)
Executive Summary (TL;DR)
Colleges in Spartanburg, South Carolina: median public in-state tuition $21,700 (+280.7% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $53,988 (-9.1% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 92.9% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $16,617 (+23.1% vs U.S.) 13,262 students enrolled statewide.
Overview
Colleges and universities in Spartanburg serve students across South Carolina with associate, bachelor's, and graduate pathways. 6 reporting campuses in this city profile, with about 13,262 students enrolled in federal data, and median in-state tuition near $21,700. Tables below compare costs, completion, earnings, and standout institutions against Spartanburg, South Carolina and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.
Spartanburg vs South Carolina & national benchmarks
Medians aggregate institution-level College Scorecard fields unless noted. Enrollment is total undergraduate headcount summed across reporting campuses.
| Geography | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion rate | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, South Carolina | $21,700 | $15,334 | $16,617 | 43.8% | 13,262 |
| South Carolina (state median) | $7,558 | $10,890 | $16,500 | 49.0% | 199,420 |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 |
Earnings & employment outcomes: Spartanburg, 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.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, South Carolina | $53,988 | 92.9% | 79.6% | 3.3% | — | 66.5% | 0.39 |
| South Carolina (state median) | $49,442 | 93.0% | 69.8% | 6.3% | — | 66.1% | 0.46 |
| United States | $59,401 | 93.0% | 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.
| City | In-state tuition | Net price | Median debt | Completion | Enrollment | Earnings (10 yr) | Working (8 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg, South Carolina | $21,700 | $15,334 | $16,617 | 43.8% | 13,262 | $53,988 | 92.9% |
| Columbia | $18,145 | $22,197 | $21,472 | 42.1% | 35,341 | $41,986 | 90.1% |
| Columbia | $18,145 | $22,197 | $21,472 | 42.1% | 35,341 | $41,986 | 90.1% |
| Columbia | $18,145 | $22,197 | $21,472 | 42.1% | 35,341 | $41,986 | 90.1% |
| Charleston | $12,978 | $20,661 | $17,500 | 68.9% | 27,302 | $72,814 | 94.2% |
| Charleston | $12,978 | $20,661 | $17,500 | 68.9% | 27,302 | $72,814 | 94.2% |
| Conway | $9,171 | $8,037 | $17,888 | 54.2% | 16,651 | $54,702 | 93.2% |
| Conway | $9,171 | $8,037 | $17,888 | 54.2% | 16,651 | $54,702 | 93.2% |
| Greenville | $18,484 | $15,592 | $15,642 | 52.3% | 15,579 | $49,158 | 89.5% |
| United States | $5,700 | $9,912 | $13,500 | 49.3% | 14,465,291 | $59,401 | 93.0% |
Top 3 colleges in Spartanburg, South Carolina by graduation rate (150% time)
Ranked by 150% time completion rate (4-year bachelor's-predominant institutions, enrollment ≥ 500). Higher rate = more students finishing within 150% of normal time.
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Rank 1, Graduation Rate, 80.3%, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 2, Graduation Rate, 43.8%, Converse University
Converse University
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Rank 3, Graduation Rate, 43.2%, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
Top 3 colleges in Spartanburg, South Carolina by employment outcome (8 yrs after entry, working & not enrolled)
Ranked by share of the 8-year cohort reported as working and not enrolled — a federal outcome proxy, not a verified job-placement rate. Enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Employment Outcome, 95.7%, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 2, Employment Outcome, 92.9%, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
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Rank 3, Employment Outcome, 90.6%, Converse University
Converse University
Top 3 most selective colleges in Spartanburg, South Carolina (lowest admission rate)
Ranked by lowest admission rate (most selective first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500 and a reported admission rate.
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Rank 1, Admission Rate, 51.9%, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 2, Admission Rate, 67.3%, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
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Rank 3, Admission Rate, 67.7%, Converse University
Converse University
Top 3 colleges in Spartanburg, 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.
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Rank 1, Entry-Level Earnings, $79,549, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
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Rank 2, Entry-Level Earnings, $74,737, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 3, Entry-Level Earnings, $42,849, Converse University
Converse University
Top 3 colleges in Spartanburg, 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.
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Rank 1, Early-Career Earnings, $86,520, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 2, Early-Career Earnings, $79,947, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
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Rank 3, Early-Career Earnings, $55,503, Converse University
Converse University
Top 3 colleges in Spartanburg, South Carolina by mid-career earnings (6 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings six years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, Mid-Career Earnings, $59,168, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 2, Mid-Career Earnings, $48,681, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
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Rank 3, Mid-Career Earnings, $39,929, Converse University
Converse University
Top 3 colleges in Spartanburg, South Carolina by 8-year earnings (8 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings eight years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 8-Yr Earnings, $67,746, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 2, 8-Yr Earnings, $51,479, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
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Rank 3, 8-Yr Earnings, $42,350, Converse University
Converse University
Top 3 colleges in Spartanburg, South Carolina by long-term earnings (10 yrs after entry)
Ranked by median earnings ten years after entry (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr Earnings, $76,744, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr Earnings, $53,988, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
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Rank 3, 10-Yr Earnings, $45,726, Converse University
Converse University
Top 3 colleges in Spartanburg, 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.
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Rank 1, 10-Yr ROI, $223,640, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 2, 10-Yr ROI, $178,562, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
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Rank 3, 10-Yr ROI, $95,552, Converse University
Converse University
Top 3 most affordable colleges in Spartanburg, 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.
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Rank 1, Net Price, $15,680, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
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Rank 2, Net Price, $23,144, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 3, Net Price, $23,526, Converse University
Converse University
Top 3 colleges in Spartanburg, South Carolina by first-year retention (full-time)
Ranked by first-year, full-time retention rate (highest first). Bachelor's-predominant four-year institutions with enrollment ≥ 500.
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Rank 1, First-Year Retention, 91.0%, Wofford College
Wofford College
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Rank 2, First-Year Retention, 79.6%, Converse University
Converse University
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Rank 3, First-Year Retention, 69.8%, University of South Carolina-Upstate
University of South Carolina-Upstate
In-state tuition: Spartanburg, South Carolina vs benchmarks
Sticker price
Spartanburg, South Carolina median in-state tuition is $21,700, +280.7% vs the U.S. median.
Student debt: Spartanburg, South Carolina vs benchmarks
Borrowing
Median debt at graduation in Spartanburg, South Carolina is $16,617 (+23.1% vs U.S. median $13,500). Regional median: $15,558.
Median earnings (10 years out): Spartanburg, South Carolina vs benchmarks
Payoff
Median earnings 10 years after entry for bachelor's-predominant campuses in Spartanburg, South Carolina center around $53,988 (-9.1% vs U.S.).
Median institution-level 10-year earnings. Source: College Scorecard.
Employment outcome proxy: Spartanburg, 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 92.9% at the median Spartanburg, South Carolina campus (-0.1 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
Spartanburg, South Carolina median public in-state tuition is $21,700, about +280.7% vs the national median. Versus the Southeast region, tuition is +320.8%.
Median graduate debt is $16,617 (+23.1% above 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 Spartanburg, South Carolina are $53,988, about -9.1% vs the U.S. campus median ($59,401).
The median campus reports 92.9% 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% (-0.1 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 79.6% 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 3.3% (U.S. 5.0%); 3-yr repayment progress 66.5% (U.S. 73.8%). 3-yr default is omitted when most campuses report suppressed zeros.
Top employment-outcome campuses in this extract include Wofford College (95.7%), University of South Carolina-Upstate (92.9%), Converse University (90.6%)—useful anchors for local reporting on where graduates are most often working rather than still enrolled.
Completion & workforce context
Average institution-level completion rate across all sectors in Spartanburg, South Carolina is 43.8% (national institution average about 49.3%).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Spartanburg?
This city profile covers 6 campuses in Spartanburg, South Carolina with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.
How much does college cost in Spartanburg?
Median in-state tuition in Spartanburg is $21,700 and median net price is $15,334. 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 Spartanburg?
Median 10-year earnings for campuses in Spartanburg is $53,988 vs $49,442 for South Carolina and $59,401 nationally.
What is student debt like for Spartanburg colleges?
Median completer debt in Spartanburg is $16,617 vs $16,500 for South Carolina and $13,500 nationally.
What are the best colleges in Spartanburg?
Top campuses on this page include Wofford College (graduation) and Wofford College (10-yr earnings). See Top 10 lists for admission, affordability, and employment metrics.
Are there HBCUs, Hispanic-serving, tribal, or religious colleges in Spartanburg?
Among 6 campuses in Spartanburg, South Carolina, 2 religiously affiliated private nonprofit campuses (IPEDS RELAFFIL); most common affiliations: United Methodist (2).
Sources & related
- South Carolina college profile
- All college profiles
- National benchmarks
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard
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