Welcome back to the PNPI Explorer blog series, where we examine higher education data in different states. This week’s spotlight is on South Carolina. 

In 2022 in South Carolina, there were 65 institutions serving 191,314 full-time equivalent (FTE) students. Using the Comparison Tool, we can examine the average 3-year cohort default rate (CDR) for South Carolina institutions. Similar to other Southern states, South Carolina institutions have a relatively high 3-year CDR at 15.61%, more than six percentage points higher than the national average of 9.53%.

One way we can further understand South Carolina’s high 3-year CDR is to examine the data by sector. South Carolina institutions have the highest 3-year CDR in the country, but this is driven primarily by for-profit and public 2-year institutions. Three-year cohort default rates at non-profit and public 4-year institutions in South Carolina remain near or below the national average of 9.53%.

Find something interesting about South Carolina that you would like to share with us? Drop us a note via our feedback page or discuss your findings on LinkedIn! Check back next week when we explore data insights about South Dakota.

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