2026 Best Value Elementary Education Schools in South Carolina
[Elementary Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-development-levels-methods/elementary-education/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong elementary education education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 29 schools to find the best return on investment for elementary education students.
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2026 Best Value Elementary Education Schools in South Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in elementary education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Elementary Education Schools
University Of South Carolina Aiken earned the #1 spot for value among elementary education schools in South Carolina. Located in the suburb of Aiken, University Of South Carolina Aiken is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,760, compared with $21,218 for out-of-state students. Elementary Education graduates carry a median of $24,776 in student loans. Early-career elementary education graduates make about $38,667. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes University Of South Carolina Upstate one of the best values for elementary education. University Of South Carolina Upstate is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Spartanburg. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,588, with out-of-state students paying around $23,090. Elementary Education graduates carry a median of $27,375 in student loans. Early-career elementary education graduates make about $40,081. That is a strong return on a $27,375 median debt. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Coastal Carolina University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value elementary education schools. Coastal Carolina University is a large public school located in the city of Conway. Students from in state pay about $11,640 in tuition and fees, compared with $29,628 for out-of-state students. Elementary Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Elementary Education graduates of Coastal Carolina University earn a median of $43,072 early in their careers. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
A rank of #4 makes Lander University one of the best values for elementary education. Located in the town of Greenwood, Lander University is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $11,700 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,300. Typical student debt for elementary education graduates is $26,075. Elementary Education graduates of Lander University earn a median of $43,532 early in their careers. Set against $26,075 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Francis Marion University earned it the #5 place for elementary education. Set in the rural area of Florence, Francis Marion University is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,170, with out-of-state students paying around $21,544. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the elementary education program here. Early-career elementary education graduates make about $39,122. Set against $29,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
Winthrop University earned the #6 position for value in elementary education this year. Set in the city of Rock Hill, Winthrop University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,678, with out-of-state students paying around $28,676. Typical student debt for elementary education graduates is $27,000. Soon after graduation, elementary education degree recipients from Winthrop University generally make around $44,482. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 79% of applicants are accepted.
University Of South Carolina Beaufort earned the #7 position for value in elementary education this year. University Of South Carolina Beaufort is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Bluffton. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,730, compared with $21,776 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,750 to complete the elementary education program here. Soon after graduation, elementary education degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Beaufort generally make around $44,659. That is a strong return on a $27,750 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
College Of Charleston came in at #8 for value in elementary education this year. Set in the city of Charleston, College Of Charleston is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,978 in tuition and fees, compared with $38,296 for out-of-state students. Elementary Education graduates carry a median of $26,423 in student loans. Early-career elementary education graduates make about $44,347. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. College Of Charleston admits about 60% of applicants.
South Carolina State University came in at #9 for value in elementary education this year. South Carolina State University is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Orangeburg. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,060, with out-of-state students paying around $21,750. Typical student debt for elementary education graduates is $31,740. Elementary Education graduates of South Carolina State University earn a median of $39,914 early in their careers. Set against $31,740 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 83% of applicants are accepted.
Southern Wesleyan University landed the #10 spot for elementary education value this year. Located in the suburb of Central, Southern Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $29,800. Typical student debt for elementary education graduates is $27,000. Early-career elementary education graduates make about $45,598. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 100%.
Bob Jones University came in at #11 for value in elementary education this year. Set in the city of Greenville, Bob Jones University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $22,892. Elementary Education graduates carry a median of $19,250 in student loans. Elementary Education graduates of Bob Jones University earn a median of $34,152 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
North Greenville University came in at #12 for value in elementary education this year. Set in the rural area of Tigerville, North Greenville University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $25,800 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for elementary education graduates is $26,000. Elementary Education graduates of North Greenville University earn a median of $39,562 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 67%.
Charleston Southern University landed the #13 spot for elementary education value this year. Set in the city of Charleston, Charleston Southern University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,520. Typical student debt for elementary education graduates is $27,000. Elementary Education graduates of Charleston Southern University earn a median of $40,478 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 96%.
Clemson University earned the #14 position for value in elementary education this year. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,554, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for elementary education graduates is $25,783. Early-career elementary education graduates make about $41,080. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 38% of applicants are accepted.
Columbia College South Carolina came in at #15 for value in elementary education this year. Columbia College South Carolina is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Columbia. Students from in state pay about $20,054 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for elementary education graduates is $28,000. Soon after graduation, elementary education degree recipients from Columbia College South Carolina generally make around $39,489. Set against $28,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Columbia College South Carolina admits about 94% of applicants.
University Of South Carolina Columbia came in at #16 for value in elementary education this year. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,688, compared with $36,298 for out-of-state students. Elementary Education graduates carry a median of $26,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, elementary education degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Columbia generally make around $43,172. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
Anderson University Sc earned the #17 position for value in elementary education this year. Anderson University Sc is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Anderson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $34,970. Elementary Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, elementary education degree recipients from Anderson University Sc generally make around $40,385. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 55%.
Furman University placed #18 among the best values for elementary education. Set in the suburb of Greenville, Furman University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $59,770. Typical student debt for elementary education graduates is $23,764. Soon after graduation, elementary education degree recipients from Furman University generally make around $36,520. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 43%.
More Elementary Education Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 29 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 16 ranked schools only.
- 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
