South University, Columbia

9 Science Court
Columbia, SC 29203
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Top Ranked (2021-22): View Rankings
Tel: (803) 799-9082
www.southuniversity.edu
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  • South University is a private academic institution dedicated to providing educational opportunities for the intellectual, social, and professional development of a diverse student population. The institution offers focused curricula at the associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels.

School Highlights

South University, Columbia serves 983 students (67% of students are full-time).
The college's student:teacher ratio of 16:1 is lower than the state community college average of 24:1.
Minority enrollment is 77% of the student body (majority Black), which is more than the state average of 48%.

Top Rankings

South University, Columbia ranks among the top 20% of community colleges in South Carolina for:

School Overview

The teacher population of 60 teachers has stayed relatively flat over five years.
South University, Columbia(SC) Community College Avg.
Carnegie ClassificationMaster's Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsAssociate's Colleges: Mixed Transfer/Vocational & Technical-High Nontraditional
Institution LevelLess than 2 yrsAt least 2 but less than 4 years
Institution ControlPublicPublic
Total Faculty60 staff60 staff
This chart display total faculty of South University, Columbia and community college average number of faculty in SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.

Student Body

The student population of South University, Columbia has declined by 32% over five years.
The student:teacher ratio of 16:1 has decreased from 27:1 over five years.
The South University, Columbia diversity score of 0.53 is less than the state average of 0.65. The school's diversity has declined by 10% over five years.
Total Enrollment983 students1,554 students
This chart display the total enrollment of South University, Columbia and community college average number of enrollment of SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
Student : Teacher Ratio16:124:1
This chart display the student staff ratio of South University, Columbia and community college average student staff ratio of SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
# Full-Time Students659 students708 students
This chart display the total number of Full-Time students enrollment of South University, Columbia and average number of community college Full-Time students enrollment of SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
# Part-Time Students324 students846 students
This chart display the total number of Part-Time students enrollment of South University, Columbia and average number of community college Part-Time students enrollment of SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
This chart display the Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of South University, Columbia. This chart display community college average Full-Time students and Part-Time students enrollment breakdown of SC.
# Undergraduate Students492 students708 students
# Graduate Students167 students167 students
This chart display graduation rate breakdown of South University, Columbia SC All Graduation Breakdown
% American Indian/Alaskan
1%
1%
This chart display the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan students in South University, Columbia and the percentage of American Indian/Alaskan community college students in SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
% Asian
3%
2%
This chart display the percentage of Asian students in South University, Columbia and the percentage of Asian community college students in SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
% Hispanic
4%
5%
This chart display the percentage of Hispanic students in South University, Columbia and the percentage of Hispanic community college students in SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
% Black
64%
27%
This chart display the percentage of Black students in South University, Columbia and the percentage of Black community college students in SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
% White
23%
52%
This chart display the percentage of White students in South University, Columbia and the percentage of White community college students in SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
% Hawaiian
1%
-
% Two or more races
1%
3%
This chart display the percentage of Two or more races students in South University, Columbia and the percentage of Two or more races community college students in SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
% Non Resident races
1%
3%
% Unknown races
2%
7%
This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in South University, Columbia. This chart display the percentage breakdown of students of all ethnic groups in SC.
Diversity Score0.530.65
This chart display the diversity score of South University, Columbia and the community college average diversity score of SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
Average Graduate Earnings (10 Years)$34,100$28,900
This chart display average graduate earnings (10 Years) of South University, Columbia and community college average graduate earnings (10 Years) of SC by year, disaggregated by student subgroups with the latest 2012-13 school year data.

Tuition Cost and Acceptance Rate

% Students Receiving Some Financial Aid78%94%
This chart display the percent of students who is receiving some financial aid in South University, Columbia and the percent of community college students who is receiving some financial aid in SC by year, with the latest 2018-19 school year data.
Median Debt for Graduates$25,084$12,001
This chart display median debt for students who have completed a certificate or degree in South University, Columbia and average median debt for community college students who have completed a certificate or degree in SC by year, with the latest 2017-18 school year data.
Median Debt for Dropouts$9,500$5,500
This chart display median debt for students who have not completed a certificate or degree in South University, Columbia and average median debt for community college students who have not completed a certificate or degree in SC by year, with the latest 2017-18 school year data.
Acceptance Rate49%71%
This chart display the percent admitted of South University, Columbia and the community college average percent admitted of SC by year, with the latest 2012-13 school year data.
Source: 2019 (or latest year available) IPEDS

School Notes

  • The University traces its heritage to 1899, when Dr. John Draughon established Draughon's Practical Business College in Savannah, GA. Since its humble beginnings, South University has experienced continued growth transforming from a two-year college into a four-year, SACS-accredited University offering associate's, bachelor's, master's and doctorate degree programs with campus locations in Savannah, GA, Columbia, SC, Montgomery, AL, Tampa, FL and West Palm Beach, FL. Today, South University continues to build on its more than a century of academic excellence by continuing to be a recognized innovator in higher education. With the introduction of South University Online, students can pursue both undergraduate degree and master's degree programs ranging from Criminal Justice to an MBA. South University offers a wide range of educational programs at the associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Programs are offered in Accounting, Allied Health Science, Anesthesiologist Assistant, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Graphic Design, Health Science, Healthcare Management, Information Technology, Legal Studies, Medical Assisting, Nursing, Paralegal Studies, Pharmacy, Physical Therapist Assisting, Physician Assistant, Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Paralegal Studies and Professional Counseling. South University's Columbia campus is nestled in the historic district of Eau Claire, just minutes north of downtown and South Carolina's state capitol building. South University's Columbia campus provides classroom and student service areas and is equipped with computer labs and medical laboratories for use by students. The library houses a large collection that includes an extensive law library. Students may retrieve periodicals in paper or electronic form. Students may also access several commercial on-line services including WESTLAW, the computerized legal research service; LIRN; SearchBank; Infotract; and UMI ProQuest, and the Electronic Library. Internet access is available on all computers throughout the campus. South University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) as a Level V institution eligible to award associate's, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.

Nearby Schools

The nearest community college to South University, Columbia is Centura College-Columbia (1.9 miles away).
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Quick Stats (2021-22)
  • Students: 983 students
  • Acceptance Rate: 49%
  • Student:teacher ratio: 16:1
  • Minority enrollment: 77%
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Did You Know?
For South Carolina public community colleges, the average tuition is approximately $5,094 per year for in-state students and $9,919 for out-of-state students. For private community colleges, the average yearly tuition is approximately $11,507 per year. Read more about average community college tuition costs across the country.

The average community college acceptance rate in South Carolina is 67%. Read more about national community college acceptance rates.

South Carolina community colleges have a diversity score of 0.65, which is lower than the national average of 0.73. The most diverse community college in South Carolina is Midlands Technical College. Read more about community college diversity statistics in the USA.
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