Edward Waters College vs. South Carolina State University

Should I go to Edward Waters College or South Carolina State University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Edward Waters College or South Carolina State University is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Edward Waters College vs. South Carolina State University comparison
Edward Waters College South Carolina State University College 3 College 4
Edward Waters College South Carolina State University
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Overview

Edward Waters College South Carolina State University
Location Jacksonville, FL Orangeburg, SC
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 1,181 2,649
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #1011
Religious Affiliation African Methodist Episcopal - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ewc.edu scsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Edward Waters College South Carolina State University
Tuition (In State) $14,658 $9,528
Tuition (Out of State) $14,658 $20,218
Room & Board $8,010 $9,000
Avg Net Price $13,649 $17,435
Avg Grant Aid $12,984 $15,873
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 96%

Admission

Edward Waters College South Carolina State University
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,988 6,833
Admitted 7,509 5,733
Acceptance Rate 83.5% 83.9%
Enrolled % 4.2% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 2.64 3.17
Typical High School Grades C+ B
Admissions Standards Extremely Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 14/18 15/19
SAT Range 820/990 800/1050
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jul 31, 2025

Academics

Edward Waters College South Carolina State University
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (36%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Psychology (14%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Mathematics (6%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Work and Family Studies (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)

Outcomes

Edward Waters College South Carolina State University
Graduation Rate 18% 35%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $27,800 $31,000
Making Student Loan Payments 14% 27%
Median Student Loan Debt N/A $33,205
Median Loan Payment N/A $343

Diversity

Edward Waters College South Carolina State University
% Men 54% 44%
% Women 46% 56%
Racial Diversity Very Low Extremely Low
HBCU Yes Yes
% White 4% 2%
% Black 89% 96%
% Hispanic 3% 0%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 0%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 0% 0%

Students

Edward Waters College South Carolina State University
% In-State 77% 77%
% Out-of-State 20% 23%

Campus

Edward Waters College South Carolina State University
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • South Carolina State University is larger than than Edward Waters College based on total student enrollment (2,649 students vs. 1,181 students)

Edward Waters College vs. South Carolina State University Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Edward Waters College or South Carolina State University?

  • Edward Waters College is 53.8% more expensive to attend than South Carolina State University for in-state tuition ($14,658.00 vs. $9,528.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.9% higher at South Carolina State University than Edward Waters College ($20,218.00 vs. $14,658.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Edward Waters College than South Carolina State University ($13,649 vs. $17,435)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Edward Waters College are 12.4% lower than costs at South Carolina State University ($8,010 vs. $9,000)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Edward Waters College than South Carolina State University (99% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by South Carolina State University students is 22.3% larger than aid received Edward Waters College ($15,873 vs. $12,984)

Edward Waters College vs. South Carolina State University Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Edward Waters College or South Carolina State University? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between South Carolina State University or Edward Waters College .

  • The average SAT score at Edward Waters College (781) is 21 points higher than at South Carolina State University (760)
  • Incoming Edward Waters College students have at the same average ACT score (16) as students at South Carolina State University (16)
  • Accepted freshman South Carolina State University students have a 0.53 point higher average high school GPA (3.17) than students at Edward Waters College (2.64)
  • South Carolina State University has a higher acceptance rate (83.9%) than Edward Waters College (83.5%)

Edward Waters College vs. South Carolina State University Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Edward Waters College or South Carolina State University? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between South Carolina State University and Edward Waters College.

  • The graduation rate at South Carolina State University is higher than Edward Waters College (35% vs. 18%)
  • Graduates from South Carolina State University earn on average $3,200 more per year than Edward Waters College graduates after ten years. ($31,000 vs. $27,800)
  • More South Carolina State University graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Edward Waters College students, three years after graduation. (27% vs. 14%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/