Best Online Master’s Programs in South Carolina 2023

Best Online Master’s Programs in South Carolina 2023

By James Barham
Reviewed By AI Staff

Published: May 11, 2022
Updated: May 22, 2023

Find the best online colleges in South Carolina ranked by the academic success of faculty and alumni associated with the colleges and universities and their online degree programs. Faculty and alumni with influential ideas are the foundation of respectable online degree programs employers can trust.

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in South Carolina

University of South Carolina

56%

Clemson University

50%

Bob Jones University

36%

31%

Coastal Carolina University

30%

Winthrop University

27%

Charleston Southern University

27%

Francis Marion University

26%

Anderson University, South Carolina

23%

Claflin University

23%

Columbia College

99%

Coker University

98%

Francis Marion University

86%

86%

University of South Carolina Aiken

84%

Converse University

82%

Coastal Carolina University

79%

Winthrop University

64%

University of South Carolina

62%

Claflin University

62%

University of South Carolina

18 to 1

Coastal Carolina University

17 to 1

University of South Carolina Aiken

17 to 1

Clemson University

16 to 1

Anderson University, South Carolina

16 to 1

Columbia International University

15 to 1

Francis Marion University

14 to 1

Charleston Southern University

13 to 1

Claflin University

13 to 1

Southern Wesleyan University

13 to 1

Coker University

$31,524

Anderson University, South Carolina

$30,720

Charleston Southern University

$28,930

Southern Wesleyan University

$26,498

Columbia International University

$25,590

Bob Jones University

$20,950

Columbia College

$20,880

Converse University

$19,850

Claflin University

$17,046

Winthrop University

$15,306

Coker University

$18,700

Winthrop University

$15,472

University of South Carolina

$13,734

University of South Carolina Aiken

$13,734

Southern Wesleyan University

$13,560

Claflin University

$11,653

$10,740

Columbia International University

$10,710

Coastal Carolina University

$10,674

Anderson University, South Carolina

$10,616

Coker University

14%

Columbia College

16%

Columbia International University

17%

Southern Wesleyan University

19%

Converse University

20%

University of South Carolina Aiken

20%

Claflin University

23%

Anderson University, South Carolina

23%

Francis Marion University

26%

Charleston Southern University

27%

Columbia International University

46%

Clemson University

49%

Anderson University, South Carolina

50%

Southern Wesleyan University

57%

Charleston Southern University

57%

Claflin University

62%

University of South Carolina

62%

Winthrop University

64%

Coastal Carolina University

79%

Converse University

82%

Converse University

11 to 1

Winthrop University

12 to 1

Bob Jones University

12 to 1

12 to 1

Coker University

12 to 1

Columbia College

12 to 1

Charleston Southern University

13 to 1

Claflin University

13 to 1

Southern Wesleyan University

13 to 1

Francis Marion University

14 to 1

$8,356

Francis Marion University

$10,384

University of South Carolina Aiken

$10,398

Coastal Carolina University

$11,460

University of South Carolina

$12,288

Clemson University

$14,118

Winthrop University

$15,306

Claflin University

$17,046

Converse University

$19,850

Columbia College

$20,880

Charleston Southern University

$5,085

Converse University

$7,488

Columbia College

$9,120

Bob Jones University

$9,532

Clemson University

$10,600

Francis Marion University

$10,612

Anderson University, South Carolina

$10,616

Coastal Carolina University

$10,674

Columbia International University

$10,710

$10,740

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in South Carolina

The 31 public schools range in tuition from $5,000 to $17,000. The largest institution, the University of South Carolina (U of SC), is right in the middle, totaling $11,000 for fees. Located in Columbia, U of SC has over 30,000 students in attendance and offers over 300 degree options. Aside from the technical and community colleges in the state, there are four universities under $10,000. At $17,000, the Medical University of South Carolina is the most expensive public school in the state.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

In addition, over 25 private schools, 17 with religious affiliations, offer academic settings with small student populations, none exceeding 3,500. Though it is the most expensive at $50,000, Furman University boasts an 84% graduation rate. With Methodist connections, Wofford College charges a tuition of $44,000, and it bears noting that the campus is situated on a national arboretum. The University of South Carolina School of Law is one of the nation’s oldest law schools and the state’s only nonprofit law school. Graduates of the school have the opportunity to receive financial assistance from the Public Interest Law Loan Forgiveness Fund if they are employed in the field of public interest law.

Along the 60-mile stretch of beaches in South Carolina is iconic Myrtle Beach, home to one of the world’s tallest Ferris wheels. Cypress swamps, military museums, and tea gardens add to the southern charm of this state. And with over 50 higher education institutions, students have plenty of options for where to earn their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.

Check out the top programs available, and earn your degree in The Palmetto State.

What are South Carolina’s Colleges & Universities?

South Carolina’s Best Overall

Online master’s degrees offered by respected colleges and universities are generally respected by employers. The main thing to consider about your online master’s choices is whether the school name is well known and respected. In many cases, employers won’t know your degree was earned online. But even if they do, a degree from a respected college is automatically to your benefit.

We rank the colleges and universities in this list by the influence of their alumni and faculty. For master’s degree students, including online master’s degree students, having faculty who are influential in your field matters a lot. It’s a big indicator that you have the chance to get a quality education. And, knowing that you will join an alumni association with some impressive people is nice, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s Degrees

An online master’s degree costs about $40,000 for the average grad student. However, the cost of your online master’s degree will depend on the type of grad school you attend. In 2018-2019, the average cost for a year of tuition in a public grad school was $12,171. The average cost for a year of tuition in private, non-profit grad school was $27,776. An online master’s degree will usually cost about the same as a traditional master’s degree. Some schools will charge 5-10% more for online courses. This added cost pays for the technology and specialized training needed for online instruction. But getting a master’s degree online can also help you save money. The costs above don’t include expenses like housing, transportation, or certain campus fees. As an online grad student, you can save a lot of money by avoiding these added expenses. Many online master’s degree programs are also accelerated. Most master’s degree programs are designed to be completed in two years. But you may be able to earn your online master’s degree in as little as 12-18 months. Earning an accelerated online master’s degree can save you money on tuition.

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

Best Online Colleges in South Carolina — Download Badge

How do we determine South Carolina's best online master's degree programs?

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Median Salaries of Top Careers in South Carolina

The following graph depicts the average salaries of top occupations in different industries in South Carolina.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

95160Personal Financial Advisors

106440Computer and Information Research Scientists

115480Aerospace Engineers

138060Physicists

195930Chief Executives

Best Online Master’s Program in South Carolina 2022

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