Charleston is a top 10 U.S. metro in terms of percentage growth of college-educated residents (census 1990 to 2000 comparisons) according to 2007 CEOs for Cities report.
To learn more about educational attainment in the Charleston region,
visit our population page or download our educational attainment statistics below.
Increase in Educational Attainment 1990-2000
| Top 10 U.S. Metros |
Change in BA/BS or Higher |
Income Growth |
| San Francisco, CA |
8.70% |
21.50% |
| San Jose, CA |
7.9 |
18.1 |
| Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, NC |
7.2 |
13.1 |
| Boston, MA |
7.2 |
12.3 |
| Middlesex, Somerset, Hunterdon, NJ |
7.2 |
9.4 |
| Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC-SC |
6.9 |
17.9 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI |
6.4 |
15 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA |
6.4 |
14.5 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC |
6.1 |
17.9 |
| Baltimore, MD |
6.1 |
9.3 |
| National Median |
3.7 |
12.5 |
|
| Source: CEOs for Cities |
Charleston area residents enjoy diverse options in K-12 education, including:
For additional information on area public and private schools, visit the
South Carolina Department of Education. To learn more about local public school initiatives, visit
The Education Foundation.
Charleston Area Public School District Statistics
| |
Berkeley County |
Charleston County |
Dorchester County II |
Dorchester County IV |
| Enrollment |
27,695 |
43,247 |
19,336 |
2,057 |
| Number of Annual Graduates |
1,295 |
1,795 |
901 |
110 |
| % of Grads Entering Post-Secondary Education |
60.9% |
70.0% |
67.4% |
32.5% |
| % of Grads Entering workforce/military/other |
39.1% |
30.0% |
32.6% |
67.5% |
|
| Source: S.C. Dept of Education, 9/07 |
International Education
- With an increasing population of non-English speaking students, area schools have developed programs to help foreign-born children assimilate quickly. Many also offer programs to help these children continue to learn their native language and culture.
- Pinewood Preparatory School offers a number of programs specifically designed for its growing European student population, ranging from kindergarten through grade 12.
- Special weekend schools offering classes in language and culture have been created by the local Chinese community, which currently numbers about 3,000 residents. Programs are also available to assist non-English speaking students in their efforts to learn the English language.
Beyond K-12, more than a dozen college and university campuses provide easy access to a full spectrum of higher education opportunities, from chemical engineering to the culinary arts. Colleges in the region are regularly ranked among the nation's best by Peterson's,
U.S News & World Report and other respected guides.
Charleston Area Colleges & Universities
| College/University |
2007-2008 Enrollment |
| American College of the Building Arts |
45 |
| Art Institute of Charleston |
300 |
| Charleston School of Law |
600 |
| Charleston Southern University |
3,286 |
| The Citadel |
3,300 |
| College of Charleston |
11,316 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University |
425 |
| Limestone College |
202 |
| Lowcountry Graduate Center |
350 |
| Medical University of South Carolina |
2,537 |
| Miller-Motte Technical College |
700 |
| Trident Technical College |
12,076 |
| Webster University |
530 |
Additional Major Colleges & Universities within 200 miles of Charleston
| Research Universities |
Fall 2007 Enrollment |
| University of South Carolina, Columbia SC |
27,272 |
| Clemson University, Clemson SC |
17,585 |
| Other Public Colleges/Universities |
| Coastal Carolina University |
7,872 |
| Francis Marion University |
3,864 |
| Lander University |
2,408 |
| South Carolina State University |
4,933 |
| University of South Carolina, Aiken |
3,267 |
| University of South Carolina, Beaufort |
1,461 |
| University of South Carolina, Upstate |
4,916 |
| Winthrop University |
6,382 |
| Private Colleges/Universities |
| Anderson University |
1,902 |
| Bob Jones University |
4,228 |
| Claflin University |
1,7638 |
| Columbia College |
1,510 |
| Columbia International University |
911 |
| Converse College |
1,881 |
| Erskine College |
892 |
| Furman University |
2,951 |
| North Greenville University |
1,993 |
| Presbyterian College |
1,180 |
| South University |
801 |
| Wofford College |
1,363 |
The above institutions offer graduate level degrees or higher in addition to undergraduate degrees.
Source: Compiled by the Center for Business Research, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, from the S.C. Commission on Higher Education and the institutions themselves, 3/08.
2006-2007 Charleston Area Degrees Awarded by Level
| Certificates |
881 |
| Diplomas |
150 |
| Associate's |
1,195 |
| Bachelor's |
3,113 |
| Post Bachelor's |
5 |
| First Professional |
268 |
| Master's |
931 |
| Post Master's |
2 |
| Specialist |
18 |
| Doctoral |
43 |
| Total |
6,606 |
|
|
| Source: Compiled by the Center for Business Research, Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, from the S.C. Commission on Higher Education and the National Center for Education Statistics, 3/08. |
Proximity to University Research
The Charleston region is within reasonable proximity to several top-tier research universities, including those in Atlanta and Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill (RTP). The state of South Carolina is also home to three universities with highly respected, growing research programs:
Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
Charleston, S.C.
Research funding fiscal '06-'07: $193 million
Clemson University
Clemson, S.C.
Research funding fiscal '05-'06: $136 million
University of South Carolina
Columbia, S.C.
Research funding fiscal '06-'07: $185 million
South Carolina Centers of Economic Excellence
The state's three public research institutions (Clemson, MUSC and USC) may use state funds to create Centers of Economic Excellence (CoEE) in research areas that will advance South Carolina's economy. The program supports CoEE endowed chairs, world-renowned scientists who lead the Centers of Economic Excellence. These centers currently range from regenerative medicine and proteomics to advanced materials and urban ecology.
For more information, please visit
www.sccoee.org.