2023 Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina
Finding the Best Nursing School for You
Nursing is the most popular major in South Carolina with 3,296 degrees and certificates handed out in 2021-2022.
With all the nursing programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
The Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina ranking is one of many tools that Nursing Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 29 schools in South Carolina to see which ones offered the best programs for nursing students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina
The colleges and universities below are the best for nursing majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Nursing Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Trident Technical College the best school in South Carolina for nursing students. Trident Technical College is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Charleston.
On average, nursing graduates from Trident Technical College take out $21,050 in student loans while working on their degree.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Medical University of South Carolina is a great place for nursing students. Located in the midsize city of Charleston, MUSC is a public college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from MUSC carry an average student debtload of $69,867. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $470.
Out of the 29 schools in South Carolina that were part of this year’s ranking, Clemson University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Clemson is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Clemson carry an average student debtload of $26,832. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $511, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina list. Located in the city of Columbia, UofSC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
On average, nursing graduates from UofSC take out $43,323 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $478, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Nursing at University of South Carolina - Columbia Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Anderson University South Carolina. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina list. Located in the small city of Anderson, Anderson University South Carolina is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Anderson University South Carolina carry an average student debtload of $27,875. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $492, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
University of South Carolina - Upstate came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina ranking. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Spartanburg, USC Upstate is a public college with a small student population.
On average, nursing graduates from USC Upstate take out $18,000 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $142.
University of South Carolina - Aiken came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina ranking. UofSC Aiken is a small public school located in the large suburb of Aiken.
On average, nursing graduates from UofSC Aiken take out $23,667 in student loans while working on their degree.
Lander University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best nursing programs. Located in the distant town of Greenwood, Lander University is a public college with a small student population.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Lander University carry an average student debtload of $26,609.
With a ranking of #9, Claflin University did quite well on this year’s best schools for nursing students. Claflin is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Orangeburg.
After completing their degree, nursing graduates from Claflin carry an average student debtload of $8,969.
Francis Marion University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina list. Francis Marion University is a small public school located in the suburb of Florence.
On average, nursing graduates from Francis Marion University take out $25,500 in student loans while working on their degree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $141, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Best Nursing Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Nursing Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 7,364 |
| Kentucky | 6,395 |
| Tennessee | 6,004 |
| Louisiana | 3,502 |
| Mississippi | 2,838 |
| Florida | 21,209 |
| Arkansas | 2,882 |
| North Carolina | 7,425 |
| West Virginia | 1,771 |
| Georgia | 7,112 |
| Virginia | 6,775 |
Rankings in Majors Related to Nursing
Nursing Concentrations
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing | 262,974 |
| Family Practice Nurse/Nursing | 16,647 |
| Nursing Practice | 8,862 |
| Nursing Administration | 8,663 |
| Other Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 4,717 |
| Nursing Science | 4,701 |
| Psychiatric/Mental Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,895 |
| Adult Health Nurse/Nursing | 2,075 |
| Public Health/Community Nurse/Nursing | 2,011 |
| Nurse Anesthetist | 1,768 |
| Critical Care Nursing | 747 |
| Geriatric Nurse/Nursing | 622 |
| Nurse Midwife/Nursing Midwifery | 567 |
| School Nursing | 539 |
| Clinical Nurse Leader | 502 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 340 |
| Perioperative/Operating Room and Surgical Nurse/Nursing | 269 |
| Women’s Health Nurse/Nursing | 262 |
| Maternal/Child Health and Neonatal Nurse/Nursing | 192 |
| Emergency Room/Trauma Nursing | 87 |
| Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | 26 |
| Forensic Nursing | 23 |
| Palliative Care Nursing | 13 |
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants | 85,339 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Aleksahgabrielle.
More about our data sources and methodologies.