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

Last updated: June 4, 2026 Source: College Scorecard

TL;DR

EDsmart Data analysis of 2024 College Scorecard data for Sumter, South Carolina shows: median public in-state tuition $7,558 (+37.1% vs national median) median 10-year earnings $30,614 (-43.6% vs U.S.) employment-outcome proxy 88.7% working & not enrolled at 8 years median graduate debt $9,977 (-25.7% vs U.S.) 3,262 students enrolled statewide.

Key Facts

  • Institutions in this profile: 3 campuses
  • Total college enrollment: 3,262 students
  • Median public in-state tuition: $7,558 (+37.1% vs U.S.)
  • Median earnings 10 years after entry: $30,614 (-43.6% vs U.S.)
  • Working & not enrolled (8-yr cohort proxy): 88.7% (+0.7 pp vs U.S.)
  • Median net price: $7,712 (-22.6% vs U.S.)
  • Median student debt at graduation: $9,977 (-25.7% vs U.S. $13,432); regional median $14,173
  • Average completion rate (institutions in state): 17.3%
  • Median first-year retention (full-time, 4-yr): 41.3%

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Overview

EDsmart Data summarizes higher-education outcomes for campuses in Sumter, South Carolina—costs, debt, enrollment, completion, earnings, and standout institutions—against South Carolina and U.S. medians from the College Scorecard.

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$7,712$9,97717.3%3,262
South Carolina (state median)$7,558$11,376$15,91747.3%200,978
United States$5,512$9,967$13,43250.3%14,484,370

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$30,61488.7%41.3%27.2%—22.0%1.03
South Carolina (state median)$44,99988.8%69.7%6.5%—66.0%0.55
United States$54,32387.9%76.3%5.0%—73.7%0.41

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$7,712$9,97717.3%3,262$30,61488.7%
Columbia$18,145$20,404$20,00030.6%35,532$36,68687.1%
Columbia$18,145$20,404$20,00030.6%35,532$36,68687.1%
Charleston$12,978$19,019$15,45863.9%27,311$64,25088.1%
Charleston$12,978$19,019$15,45863.9%27,311$64,25088.1%
Conway$8,054$13,966$15,91748.5%16,654$47,25878.5%
Conway$8,054$13,966$15,91748.5%16,654$47,25878.5%
Greenville$18,484$17,979$15,98842.8%15,579$44,35481.1%
Spartanburg$20,650$14,250$17,15552.3%13,262$48,58790.0%
United States$5,512$9,967$13,43250.3%14,484,370$54,32387.9%

Top 10 colleges 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 10 colleges 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, $40,999, Morris College

    Morris College

    Private nonprofit · 383 enrolled · Sumter

Top 10 most affordable colleges 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, $20,555, 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, +37.1% vs the U.S. median.

Student debt: Sumter, South Carolina vs benchmarks

Borrowing

Median debt at graduation in Sumter, South Carolina is $9,977 (-25.7% vs U.S. median $13,432). Regional median: $14,173.

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 $30,614 (-43.6% 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 88.7% at the median Sumter, South Carolina campus (+0.7 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 +37.1% vs the national median. Versus the Southeast region, tuition is +51.4%.

Median graduate debt is $9,977 (-25.7% below the U.S. median of $13,432). 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 $30,614, about -43.6% vs the U.S. campus median ($54,323).

The median campus reports 88.7% of its 8-year cohort as working and not enrolled—our closest federal proxy to a placement rate. The U.S. campus median is 87.9% (+0.7 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 76.3%—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. 73.7%). 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 17.3% (national institution average about 50.3%).

FAQ

How many colleges are in Sumter?

EDsmart Data analysis: this city profile covers 3 campuses in Sumter, South Carolina with College Scorecard cost or outcomes data.

How much does college cost in Sumter?

EDsmart Data analysis: median in-state tuition in Sumter is $7,558 and median net price is $7,712. For South Carolina overall, medians are $7,558 and $11,376; U.S. medians are $5,512 and $9,967.

What do graduates earn in Sumter?

EDsmart Data analysis: median 10-year earnings for campuses in Sumter is $30,614 vs $44,999 for South Carolina and $54,323 nationally.

What is student debt like for Sumter colleges?

EDsmart Data analysis: median completer debt in Sumter is $9,977 vs $15,917 for South Carolina and $13,432 nationally.

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

EDsmart Data analysis: 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