2022 Best Value Colleges for Engineering-Related Fields (Income $0-$30k) in South Carolina

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 6,319 people earned their degree in engineering-related fields, making the major the 120th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, engineering-related fields graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $73,026 and had an average of $26,903 in loans still to pay off.

Across South Carolina, there were 132 engineering-related fields graduates with average earnings and debt of $78,300 and $25,500 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 3 colleges that offered a degree in engineering-related fields. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great engineering-related fields programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the engineering-related fields program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Engineering-Related Fields (Income $0-$30k) in South Carolina

#1

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

#1 in overall quality

$7,296 Average Net Price

$50,720 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k. Citadel Military College of South Carolina is located in Charleston, South Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 ’s engineering-related fields degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our south carolina engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k list, The Citadel has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $7,296 for south carolina engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Engineering-Related Fields at Citadel Military College of South Carolina

#2

Clemson University

Clemson, South Carolina

#2 in overall quality

$13,698 Average Net Price

$45,078 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Clemson University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Clemson, South Carolina, and it awarded 76 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2019-2020.

Clemson did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina” list. It costs about $13,698 for south carolina engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Clemson University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 3.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering-Related Fields at Clemson

#3

University of South Carolina - Upstate

Spartanburg, South Carolina

#3 in overall quality

$13,543 Average Net Price

$31,718 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Carolina - Upstate. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and it awarded 5 ’s engineering-related fields degrees in 2019-2020.

USC Upstate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Engineering-Related Fields Schools in South Carolina” list. The yearly cost to attend USC Upstate is $13,543 for south carolina engineering-related fields students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of South Carolina - Upstate Engineering-Related Fields Report

• Best Value Colleges for Engineering-Related Fields (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
• Best Value Colleges for Engineering-Related Fields (Income $0-$30k)

Notes and References

References

• 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).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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