South Carolina Ranks As One Of The Best States For New College Graduates

This is going to be a great week at my house. My sons are coming home from college for Thanksgiving and I can't wait to see them. My wife and I miss them every day but we're grateful that they're both doing well at their respective schools and getting on with their adult lives. It's all as it should be.

Our oldest son is a senior and he'll be graduating in May. He's in the process of figuring out what's next. Graduate school or some sort of additional education/training is one option. Full-time employment is the other. While he's mulling over the what, he's also thinking about the where. What is the best place to go after he gets his college degree?

We've been lucky that both our sons stayed in North Carolina for college. It has been easy to see either one of them whenever we want and I hope neither one ever lives too far away from us. But, as parents, we know that they need to do what they need to do, even if it means moving clear across the country like I did after my college graduation.

Researchers at Velents AI recently compiled a list of the best U.S. states for new college graduates to find a job by analyzing October 2023 data from Indeed, Statista, and Numbeo. Their study considered factors like the average number of graduates, entry-level job opportunities available, cost of living, and average entry-level salary. In each state, Velents also assessed the number of entry-level positions requiring college degrees in relation to the quantity of college graduates. Additionally, they compared average entry-level salaries to the respective costs of living. Based on this analysis, a total score was generated for every state to identify which were best for young professionals to start their careers.

According to the data, Alaska tops the list as the prime destination for recent college graduates, with an impressive 2,800 entry-level jobs available per 1,000 graduates. The monthly average salary for entry-level positions stands at $6,000, which comfortably exceeds the state's average monthly living costs. Entry-level positions like automotive technician or sales representative have more favorable salary conditions.

Maine is second on the list, offering nearly 1,400 entry-level positions per 1,000 individuals. With a monthly average salary of $5,900 and a relatively low monthly living expense, Maine remains a promising state for recent grads to start their careers. Most of the other states in the top ten are out west, including Nevada (3), Montana (4), Hawaii (5), North Dakota (6), South Dakota (7), Oregon (8), and Wisconsin (9).

My soon-to-be-graduating son won't necessarily have to move west to make a decent living for himself. Rounding out the top ten  on this list is South Carolina. With about 1,000 entry-level jobs per 1,000 residents, the Palmetto State offers an average monthly salary of $4,700, which is close to its living expenses, so it's still a good option for entry-level job seekers.

US News and World Report recently released their 2024 Best Colleges rankings. And in the national rankings, only two South Carolina Universities were named as the best colleges. In contrast, in North Carolina 16 schools were named on the list. Of course, this list isn't the be all end all. But let's face it, looking at colleges can be overwhelming. And having any sort of data as a starting point, if you don't know where you want to go or what you want to study, is important. I was lucky enough to know exactly where I wanted to go to school from a young age and was able to make that dream a reality. But many students don't know where they want to go or perhaps don't have the grades to get into their dream school. There are so many colleges across not only South Carolina, but the region, and nationally.

These rankings are undeniably just one of numerous things that should be considered when making the decision on where to study. Some students prefer a smaller institution, while others want a large college experience. Location plays a big part in the decision as well and of course affordability or availability of scholarships. So which two South Carolina schools are among the nation's best colleges? It's the two largest of course. The rivals. If you live in the state you probably have an opinion on which school is the best. Which ones ranked where? You'll have to keep reading to find out. Below you'll find information including enrollment and tuition for these as well as the SC schools that ranked regionally. Interested in another school or the full list? You can read that here.

Located in the college town of the same name Clemson ranked 86th on the US News list and was the highest-ranked institution in South Carolina. In the fall of 2022 Clemson had an undergrad enrollment of 22,566. Tuition is pricey at $15,558 for in-state students and $39,502 for out-of-state students.

Ranking just under 40 spots below is the other major state institution University of South Carolina. In the fall of 2022, 27,343 students called Columbia and USC home. Tuition is slightly cheaper than Clemson at $33,928 (out-of-state) and $12,688 for in-state.