South Carolina Nursing Programs and Degrees Guide
The following guide will provide you with essential information on the many nursing programs available in the state of South Carolina. Students pursuing an undergraduate or a graduate nursing degree in South Carolina may concentrate their studies in one of a number of areas, including family nurse practitioner, nurse educator, and adult gerontology nurse practitioner. Some colleges and universities provide students with the ability to earn their nursing degrees predominately or entirely online.
Quick Facts
- 33 schools with nursing programs in South Carolina are in our database (see below).
- 18 colleges and universities offer associate’s degrees or certificates in nursing.1
- 15 colleges and universities offer bachelor’s degrees in nursing.1
- 8 colleges and universities offer master’s or advanced degrees in nursing.1
- 2 schools ranked in Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges in 2018.2
- No schools ranked in the Princeton Review’s Great Schools for Nursing Majors in 2018.3
- 2 schools ranked in US News Best Nursing Schools: Master’s programs.4
- 2 schools ranked in US News Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.4
Top-Ranked Schools with Nursing Programs in South Carolina
Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges 2018*
- Clemson University (#31 in-state, #35 out-of-state)
- University of South Carolina (#46 in-state, #50 out-of-state)
*Institution-wide ranking.
US News Best Nursing Schools: Master’s
- Medical University of South Carolina (#24 tie)
- University of South Carolina (#39 tie)
US News Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice
- Medical University of South Carolina (#21 tie)
- University of South Carolina (#44 tie)
Read below where you will find more information, including profiles of several of the many undergraduate and graduate nursing programs offered by South Carolina’s leading colleges and universities.
NCLEX Pass Rate and Accreditation Information for Nursing Schools in South Carolina
The following table allows you to easily compare not-for-profit South Carolina nursing schools on a variety of factors. Click on the arrows in the top row to sort the table. In addition to seeking a program that leads to licensure in your desired area of nursing, it’s advisable to consider accreditation as a factor in your decision. If you are considering education beyond the associate’s level, know that a degree from a school that holds accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is a common requirement for admission to master’s degree, ADN/LVN and RN to BSN, and specialized certificate programs. You should also check to ensure that the school you are considering is approved or accepted by the South Carolina State Board of Nursing (https://www.llr.sc.gov/pol/nursing/).
| School | ADN or LVN Program | BSN Program | Graduate Nursing Program | ACEN/CCNE Accred.* | NCLEX-PN First Time Pass Rate** | # Taking | NCLEX-RN First Time Pass Rate^ | # Taking | Net Price^^ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 100% | 23 | 91.67% | 48 | $6,291 |
| Anderson University | No | Yes | Yes | CCNE | N/A | N/A | 84.75% | 59 | $20,310 |
| Bob Jones University | No | Yes | No | No | N/A | N/A | 84.09% | 44 | $8,175 |
| Central Carolina Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | N/A | N/A | 94.37% | 71 | $17,417 |
| Charleston Southern University | No | Yes | Yes | ACEN | N/A | N/A | 93.75% | 48 | $17,162 |
| The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina | No | Yes | No | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $16,622 |
| Clemson University | No | Yes | Yes | CCNE | N/A | N/A | 92.23% | 103 | N/A |
| Coastal Carolina University | No | Yes | No | ACEN | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $14,654 |
| Denmark Technical College | Yes | No | No | No | 88.89% | 9 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Florence Darlington Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 94.12% | 17 | 72% | 100 | $4,813 |
| Francis Marion University | No | Yes | Yes | ACEN | N/A | N/A | 79.1% | 67 | $11,194 |
| Greenville Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $7,215 |
| Horry Georgetown Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 100% | 37 | 88.66% | 97 | $6,740 |
| Lander University | No | Yes | Yes | CCNE | N/A | N/A | 88.89% | 36 | $13,038 |
| Marion County Technical College | Yes | No | No | No | 100% | 17 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Medical University of South Carolina | No | Yes | Yes | CCNE | N/A | N/A | 91.72% | 157 | N/A |
| Midlands Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 97.3% | 37 | 85.71% | 154 | $5,715 |
| Newberry College | No | Yes | No | CCNE | N/A | N/A | 57.89% | 19 | $20,381 |
| Northeastern Technical College | Yes | No | No | No | 94.74% | 19 | 100% | 19 | $8,762 |
| Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 90.57% | 53 | 100% | 39 | $7,933 |
| Piedmont Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 89.8% | 49 | 91.94% | 62 | $6,806 |
| South Carolina State University | No | Yes | No | CCNE | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $18,588 |
| Spartanburg Community College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | N/A | N/A | 75% | 40 | $3,232 |
| Technical College of the Lowcountry | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 100% | 4 | 86.25% | 80 | $4,506 |
| Tri-County Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 95.45% | 66 | 90.80% | 87 | $8,880 |
| Trident Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 100% | 25 | 93.12% | 218 | $7,665 |
| University of South Carolina-Aiken | No | Yes | No | CCNE | N/A | N/A | 80% | 80 | $13,318 |
| University of South Carolina-Beaufort | No | Yes | No | CCNE | N/A | N/A | 86.67% | 30 | $14,034 |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | No | Yes | Yes | CCNE | N/A | N/A | 95.71% | 210 | $19,434 |
| University of South Carolina-Upstate | No | Yes | Yes | CCNE | N/A | N/A | 78.61% | 187 | $14,123 |
| Williamsburg Technical College | Yes | No | No | No | 100% | 14 | N/A | N/A | $8,122 |
| York Technical College | Yes | No | No | ACEN | 100% | 11 | 100% | 25 | $8,769 |
*The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) accredits ADN/ASN/BSN programs. The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) accredits BSN/MSN/DNP programs.5,6
**NCLEX-PN pass rates reported are for first-time undergraduates testing between July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.7 You can compare these pass rates to the national average through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
^NCLEX-RN pass rates reported are for first-time undergraduates testing between July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016.7 You can compare these pass rates to the national average through the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
^^The National Center for Education Statistics calculates net price from the total estimated cost of attendance, including includes tuition, books, room and board, and other expenses, for in-state students minus the average financial aid award (such as grants and scholarships).
Schools in South Carolina with Nursing Degrees
Associate’s in Nursing Programs
Greenville Technical College
Greenville Technical College is home to one of the largest associate degree nursing (ADN) programs in South Carolina. The program emphasizes clinical proficiency and conceptual learning both in the classroom and in the real world. Students may pursue the ADN on a traditional track or with a specialized curriculum designed for transfer into a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. Greenville Tech also offers advanced placement into the ADN program for those who are already licensed in other health care fields. Graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam and are well prepared for professional nursing careers and further study. Greenville Tech’s nursing program is approved by the South Carolina State Board of Nursing and accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN).
Spartanburg Community College
Spartanburg Community College offers an Associate in Applied Sciences (AAS) in Nursing that emphasizes holistic nursing care and health promotion. Core nursing courses required to complete the degree include Mental Health Nursing, Pharmacologic Basics in Nursing Practice, and Advanced Alterations in Health. Clinical rotations in settings including hospitals, doctors’ offices, and other health facilities are included in the coursework for this program. Graduates are prepared to take the NCLEX-RN exam and pursue professional nursing practice in a broad variety of healthcare settings. Spartanburg Community College maintains an articulation agreement with the University of South Carolina-Upstate (USC-Upstate) that allows ADN graduates to smoothly transfer into USC-Upstate’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program.
Bachelor’s in Nursing Programs
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program provides students with a well-rounded education that combines nursing courses with clinical practicums and simulator labs. Nursing majors gain valuable real-world experience working alongside faculty members in the university’s Children and Family Healthcare Center and through on-campus simulations labs. Students, who must enroll in the nursing program full time, take classes in sequence during the final two years of the 125 credit, four-year program. Coursework covers acute care nursing of adults, chemical therapeutics, and clinical reasoning. Graduates of the program possess the necessary qualifications to sit for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN).
Clemson University
Clemson University’s four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program prepares graduates to take the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). While students focus predominately on general college requirements in the first two years of study, they do take basic nursing classes from the first semester. The final two years focus on nursing curriculum, clinical experience in the university’s simulator lab, and clinical practicums. All nursing majors must have a student nurse’s professional liability insurance policy during clinical practicums. Academically eligible nursing majors may want to apply for admission to Sigma Theta Tau, Gamma Mu, the campus chapter of the national honor society for nursing students.
Master’s in Nursing Programs
Charleston Southern University
Charleston Southern University’s College of Nursing offers an online Master of Science in Nursing program with an emphasis in either Nurse Educator or Nursing Leadership and Healthcare Administration. The MSN program in both emphases is offered fully online. The MSN Education emphasis comprises 10 five-week courses and can be completed within 16 months. The MSN program at CSU requires an undergraduate degree with a 3.0 GPA, an active, unrestricted nursing license, and GRE or GMAT scores, along with letters of recommendation and a current resume. Courses include Health Assessment, Theoretical Frameworks of Nursing Education, Practicum in Nursing Management, and Healthcare Economics and Financial Management of Nursing Systems.
Francis Marion University
Francis Marion University features a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program in family nurse practitioner and nurse educator. Students pursuing the family nurse practitioner concentration must complete 55 credits and 630 hours in clinical experience to fulfill degree requirements. The nurse educator track requires 36 credits and 270 hours in a clinical practicum. The program is featured in a hybrid format with students generally only attending class on campus once a week. All graduate students must complete the same core courses, which include biostatistics, health policy and leadership, advanced research and evidence-based practice, and theory and knowledge development. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average to remain in the MSN program.
Student Reviews
Note: Student Reviews are based on the experiences of a few individuals and it is unlikely that you will have similar results. Please review the “Data, Student Reviews and Other Information” section in our Terms of Use and Disclaimers.
Aiken Technical College
2276 Jefferson Davis Hwy
Graniteville, SC 29829
(803) 593-9231
https://www.atc.edu/
Student Review: “I thought the program was well on its way to being a great program. The schedule was not very well thought out. We had to go and get our clinical assignments the night before the day of clinical but there was a massive amount of paperwork involved and there was only hours to complete it. The RN program got all the good clinical sites so clinical settings were not the best. Our simulation lab did not feel like the real thing, even with an expensive mannequin. The first semester there was 4 classes to take, which was a tad overload on a new nursing student. It needed to be spread out better amongst the other semesters.” – Student at Aiken Technical College
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208
(803) 777-0169
https://www.sc.edu
Student Review: “I truly enjoyed every single moment while I attended the University of South Carolina. The nursing program is wonderful and the professors are quite helpful, but also quite demanding of students. The lab and clinical work more than prepared me for a wonderful career in nursing. I succeeded on my RN exam the first time I took the test. My favorite professors were incredibly helpful when I was in search of a job. They were willing to contact some of the hospitals that I was interested in working at and they gave personal recommendations to their staff. I now am enjoying my career as a nurse here in South Carolina.” – Student at University of South Carolina
References:
1. National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
2. Kiplinger’s Best Values in Public Colleges: https://www.kiplinger.com/tool/college/T014-S001-best-college-values-college-finder/index.php#Tile
3. The Princeton Review. The Best 382 Colleges, 2018 Edition. New York, Penguin Random House, 2018.
4. US News Top Graduate Nursing Schools: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-nursing-schools
5. Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN): http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programSearch.htm
6. Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE): https://directory.ccnecommunity.org/reports/accprog.asp
7. South Carolina State Board of Nursing: https://www.llr.sc.gov/POL/Nursing/index.asp?file=NurPrograms.htm