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2023 Best Nursing Schools in South Carolina

29 Colleges
$69,985 Avg Salary
$28,053 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

Trident Technical College

Charleston, SC

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.

Read full report on Nursing at Trident Technical College

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.

Read More…

#3

Clemson University

Clemson, SC

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.

Read full report on Nursing at Clemson University

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.

Full Nursing at Anderson University South Carolina Report

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.

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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.

Full Nursing at University of South Carolina - Aiken Report

#8

Lander University

Greenwood, SC

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.

Read full report on Nursing at Lander University

#9

Claflin University

Orangeburg, SC

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.

Read full report on Nursing at Claflin University

#10

Francis Marion University

Florence, SC

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.

Read More…

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

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

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.

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