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2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in South Carolina

[Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies education at a price that pays off.

College Factual analyzed 10 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in South Carolina

2026 Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools in South Carolina

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Schools

1

Clemson University
Clemson, SC

$15,554 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,783 Avg Student Debt

$71,513 Median Earnings (10yr)

Our analysis ranked Clemson University the best value for a degree in area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies in South Carolina. Clemson University is a very large public school located in the suburb of Clemson. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,554, with out-of-state students paying around $40,866. Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies graduates carry a median of $23,783 in student loans. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $53,834. Set against $23,783 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Clemson University admits about 38% of applicants.

2

University Of South Carolina Columbia
Columbia, SC

$12,688 In-State Tuition & Fees

$20,125 Avg Student Debt

$62,177 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of South Carolina Columbia came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies schools. University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public school located in the city of Columbia. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,688, while out-of-state students pay about $36,298. Typical student debt for area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates is $20,125. Early-career area, ethnic, culture, & gender studies graduates make about $32,064. That is a strong return on a $20,125 median debt. The acceptance rate is 60%.

View All Area, Ethnic, Culture, & Gender Studies Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.