South Carolina ranking · Clery-reported enrollment 2024

The Largest Universities in South Carolina

The 50 largest of the 85 South Carolina colleges and universities that report an enrolment to the U.S. Department of Education, ranked biggest first. Total enrolment counts online and distance students, so an institution with a large virtual programme can outrank a bigger physical campus.

38,532
Largest in South Carolina
85
Institutions reporting
1,402
Median South Carolina institution
#27
of 51 states by enrolment

University of South Carolina-Columbia is the largest institution in South Carolina with 38,532 students

According to U.S. Department of Education campus-safety enrollment filings for 2024, University of South Carolina-Columbia leads South Carolina at 38,532 students, and the five largest hold 40.6% of state enrollment. This list covers the 50 largest of 85 reporting institutions. Totals include online learners, so a large virtual programme can outrank a bigger physical campus.

Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey

Largest in South Carolina
38,532
Institutions reporting
85
State students in top 5
40.6%
Median South Carolina institution
1,402

South Carolina in one line

University of South Carolina-Columbia is the largest institution in South Carolina with 38,532 students, about 27x the 1,402 of the median institution in the state. The five largest hold 40.6% of the state's students, a middling concentration: large institutions matter here without crowding out the rest.

38,532
students at University of South Carolina-Columbia
40.6%
of state students, in the top 5
258,955
students enrolled across South Carolina
744
the #50 cutoff

Enrollment is total students reported in the OPE campus-safety disclosure for 2024, including online and distance learners. IPEDS supplies institution location and sector. The incident column is reported on-campus Clery Act incidents per 1,000 enrolled students.

Size joined to safety

These 50 largest institutions enroll 96.5% of South Carolina's students; the other 35 reporting institutions hold the remaining 3.5%. Among the 34 mid-to-large campuses on this list, 22 sit below the 1.58 national median incident rate, and 1 also appear in the national safest-50.

96.5%
of state students, in these 50
22
below 1.58 national median /1k
1
also in national safest-50
2.57
University of South Carolina-Columbia rate /1k

Incident rates are on-campus Clery Criminal Offenses and VAWA reports per 1,000 enrolled students for campuses with enrollment ≥ 2,000 and a national safety rank. A lower rate is not a personal safety verdict, reporting culture and online enrollment dilute raw counts. See /rankings/safest-campuses for the size-fair national list.

Showing the top 50 of 85 South Carolina institutions by enrollment (249,974 of 258,955 students, 96.5%). The remaining 35 reporting institutions enroll 3.5% of the state total and are omitted from this capped ranking, not from the underlying federal tables.

What this ranking shows about South Carolina

South Carolina ranks 27th by total enrolment among the states and DC, roughly mid-table nationally. The 85 institutions reporting enrolment here split 34 public to 51 private, so neither sector defines the top of this list on its own.

Ranking by total enrolment puts institutions with large online programmes above institutions with larger physical campuses, because a virtual student body is not limited by classrooms or housing. A list of the biggest campuses by students physically present would order differently, and neither list is more correct, because they answer different questions. Enrolment here is the total headcount an institution reported to the federal OPE reporting cohort, which counts undergraduate and graduate students together and makes no distinction between full-time and part-time study. A university with a very large part-time or continuing-education population can therefore outrank one with more students on campus on any given weekday.

The incident-rate column is here because institution size changes how a raw incident count should be read, not because a larger university is more or less safe. Two institutions with the same number of reported incidents are not comparable if one enrols five times as many students, so the column expresses incidents per thousand enrolled. A rate still reflects reporting practice as much as underlying risk: an institution that encourages reporting and investigates thoroughly can record more incidents than one that does neither, and that is the opposite of what a naive reading suggests. Institutions where most students study online show diluted rates, because the denominator counts students who never set foot on a campus. Read the column as context for the size ranking, never as a safety verdict, and see our methodology for how both figures are assembled. For the same institutions ranked by cost rather than size, see the cheapest colleges rankings, or browse every institution we hold a record for.

Comparing states? See the 50 largest universities in the US, or this state's campus safety profile.

The bar to make South Carolina's top-50 list is 744 students. Here is where that cutoff sits among all 85 South Carolina institutions reporting enrollment:

The bar to make South Carolina's top-50 list

Clery-reported enrollment · 85 South Carolina institutions · 2024

744 Top 59% higher than 41% of 85 South Carolina institutions

Show national distribution 0–4,000: 67 South Carolina institutions (79%). This entry sits in this band. 4,000–8,000: 11 South Carolina institutions (13%). Above this entry. 8,000–12,000: 4 South Carolina institutions (5%). Above this entry. 12,000–16,000: 1 South Carolina institutions (1%). Above this entry. 16,000–20,000: 0 South Carolina institutions (0%). Above this entry. 20,000–24,000: 0 South Carolina institutions (0%). Above this entry. 24,000–28,000: 0 South Carolina institutions (0%). Above this entry. 28,000–32,000: 1 South Carolina institutions (1%). Above this entry. 32,000–36,000: 0 South Carolina institutions (0%). Above this entry. 36,000–40,000: 1 South Carolina institutions (1%). Above this entry. #50 cutoff 0 40,000 every South Carolina institution, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more South Carolina institutions. 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, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey · 2024

The 50 largest of South Carolina's 85 institutions

28
Furman University Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
2,554
Incidents /1k
9.79
35
Claflin University Orangeburg, SC · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
1,852
Incidents /1k
6.48
37
Wofford College Spartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
1,817
Incidents /1k
7.15
38
Converse University Spartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
1,787
Incidents /1k
3.92
39
Columbia College Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
1,725
Incidents /1k
2.32
40
Benedict College Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
1,691
Incidents /1k
0.00
41
Newberry College Newberry, SC · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
1,536
Incidents /1k
11.72
44
Coker University Hartsville, SC · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
1,325
Incidents /1k
4.53
48
Erskine College Due West, SC · Private nonprofit
Enrollment
912
Incidents /1k
0.00
50
Arclabs Piedmont, SC · Private for-profit
Enrollment
744
Incidents /1k
5.38
# Institution EnrollmentIncidents /1k
1 University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC · Public 38,532 100% of the leader · rank #1 2.57
2 Clemson University Clemson, SC · Public 29,077 75% of the leader · rank #2 2.82
3 Trident Technical College Charleston, SC · Public 13,552 35% of the leader · rank #3 0.15
4 Greenville Technical College Greenville, SC · Public 11,999 31% of the leader · rank #4 0.08
5 College of Charleston Charleston, SC · Public 11,926 31% of the leader · rank #5 2.43
6 Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC · Public 11,348 29% of the leader · rank #6 0.70
7 Midlands Technical College West Columbia, SC · Public 9,226 24% of the leader · rank #7 0.22
8 Horry-Georgetown Technical College Conway, SC · Public 7,923 21% of the leader · rank #8 0.00
9 Spartanburg Community College Spartanburg, SC · Public 6,653 17% of the leader · rank #9 0.90
10 Tri-County Technical College Pendleton, SC · Public 5,890 15% of the leader · rank #10 0.00
11 Piedmont Technical College Greenwood, SC · Public 5,143 13% of the leader · rank #11 0.00
12 University of South Carolina-Upstate Spartanburg, SC · Public 4,916 13% of the leader · rank #12 2.03
13 Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC · Public 4,894 13% of the leader · rank #13 5.52
14 York Technical College Rock Hill, SC · Public 4,771 12% of the leader · rank #14 0.00
15 Anderson University Anderson, SC · Private nonprofit 4,710 12% of the leader · rank #15 1.49
16 Lander University Greenwood, SC · Public 4,378 11% of the leader · rank #16 0.91
17 Francis Marion University Florence, SC · Public 4,112 11% of the leader · rank #17 0.97
18 University of South Carolina Aiken Aiken, SC · Public 4,022 10% of the leader · rank #18 0.50
19 Charleston Southern University Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit 3,832 10% of the leader · rank #19 2.09
20 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC · Public 3,793 10% of the leader · rank #20 2.90
21 Florence-Darlington Technical College Florence, SC · Public 3,522 9% of the leader · rank #21 0.00
22 Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC · Public 3,246 8% of the leader · rank #22 8.01
23 South Carolina State University Orangeburg, SC · Public 3,242 8% of the leader · rank #23 8.95
24 Columbia International University Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit 2,914 8% of the leader · rank #24 0.00
25 Central Carolina Technical College Sumter, SC · Public 2,825 7% of the leader · rank #25 0.35
26 Bob Jones University Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit 2,734 7% of the leader · rank #26 1.10
27 University of South Carolina-Lancaster Lancaster, SC · Public 2,687 7% of the leader · rank #27 0.00
28 Furman University Greenville, SC · Private nonprofit 2,554 7% of the leader · rank #28 9.79
29 Technical College of the Lowcountry Beaufort, SC · Public 2,461 6% of the leader · rank #29 0.00
30 Aiken Technical College Graniteville, SC · Public 2,307 6% of the leader · rank #30 0.00
31 North Greenville University Tigerville, SC · Private nonprofit 2,304 6% of the leader · rank #31 3.04
32 University of South Carolina Beaufort Bluffton, SC · Public 2,208 6% of the leader · rank #32 3.17
33 Strayer University-South Carolina Greenville, SC · Private for-profit 2,110 5% of the leader · rank #33 1.42
34 Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College Orangeburg, SC · Public 2,106 5% of the leader · rank #34 0.00
35 Claflin University Orangeburg, SC · Private nonprofit 1,852 5% of the leader · rank #35 6.48
36 University of South Carolina-Sumter Sumter, SC · Public 1,845 5% of the leader · rank #36 0.54
37 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit 1,817 5% of the leader · rank #37 7.15
38 Converse University Spartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit 1,787 5% of the leader · rank #38 3.92
39 Columbia College Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit 1,725 4% of the leader · rank #39 2.32
40 Benedict College Columbia, SC · Private nonprofit 1,691 4% of the leader · rank #40 0.00
41 Newberry College Newberry, SC · Private nonprofit 1,536 4% of the leader · rank #41 11.72
42 Northeastern Technical College Cheraw, SC · Public 1,428 4% of the leader · rank #42 0.00
43 University of South Carolina-Union Union, SC · Public 1,402 4% of the leader · rank #43 0.00
44 Coker University Hartsville, SC · Private nonprofit 1,325 4% of the leader · rank #44 4.53
45 Spartanburg Methodist College Spartanburg, SC · Private nonprofit 1,119 4% of the leader · rank #45 14.30
46 Presbyterian College Clinton, SC · Private nonprofit 1,095 4% of the leader · rank #46 6.39
47 Southern Wesleyan University Central, SC · Private nonprofit 980 4% of the leader · rank #47 0.00
48 Erskine College Due West, SC · Private nonprofit 912 4% of the leader · rank #48 0.00
49 University of South Carolina-Salkehatchie Allendale, SC · Public 799 4% of the leader · rank #49 0.00
50 Arclabs Piedmont, SC · Private for-profit 744 4% of the leader · rank #50 5.38

What to do with this

Size is a starting filter for South Carolina, not a verdict on any institution.

Institutions below the reporting floor, or without enrolment in the Campus Safety and Security Survey cohort for 2024, do not appear on this list. IPEDS supplies classification and location.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education Campus Safety and Security Survey (enrollment and Clery disclosures), joined to the IPEDS institutional directory (location and classification)

Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. Every figure on this page is computed at request time from the federal source tables; no ranking position or count is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-10-26.

PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.