South Carolina: school, college and career rules
South Carolina requires 24 units for its uniform high school diploma, gives 20% weight to end-of-course exams in gateway courses, grants in-state tuition after 12 months of domicile, and funds merit LIFE Scholarships.
Linked from the State Population Totals 2020-2025 page (census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html); population and rank copied from the POPESTIMATE2025 and NRANK_POPEST2025 columns.Census
High school diploma
S.C. Code § 59-39-100 sets 24 units for the uniform state diploma, earned through personalized pathways; State Board of Education Regulation 43-234 divides them by subject. ed.sc.gov times out from India; the subject units are read from the regulation itself.SC Regs
| Subject | State minimum |
|---|---|
| English language arts | 4 units |
| Mathematics | 4 units |
| Science | 3 units |
| U.S. History and Constitution | 1 unit |
| Economics | 0.5 unit |
| U.S. Government | 0.5 unit |
| Other social studies | 1 unit |
| Physical education or Junior ROTC | 1 unit |
| Computer science | 1 unit |
| World language or career and technology education | 1 unit |
| Financial literacy | 0.5 unit (from the freshman class of 2023-24) |
| Electives | 6.5 units |
24 units. One unit is a standards-based course of at least 120 hours, or credit through a proficiency-based system.
State tests for the diploma
Students must pass a classroom examination on the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist papers and American institutions, take the 100-question U.S. citizenship civics test, and pass a high school science course that has an end-of-course examination. ed.sc.gov times out from India; the subject units are read from the regulation itself.SC Regs
Also good to know
- Since the class of 2015 there is no exit exam for the diploma; former students denied a diploma only for the old exit exam may petition their local school board.
SC Code
S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 18 (Education Accountability Act): §§ 59-18-310, -320 and -325South Carolina Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Students can earn endorsements on their pathway, shown as seals on the uniform diploma; they are not required to graduate.
SC Code
S.C. Code § 59-39-100, Uniform diplomas; units requiredSouth Carolina Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
State test: SC READY and EOCEP
South Carolina statewide assessment program: SC READY, the End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) and grade 11 readiness tests. State law requires tests in English language arts, math, science and social studies in grades 3 to 8, end-of-course tests in gateway high school courses, and a college entrance test and a career readiness test in grade 11. SC Code
View source
| Test | Subjects | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| SC READY (state assessment) | English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies | Grades 3–8 |
| End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP) | Gateway courses in English, mathematics, science and U.S. History and the Constitution | When the course ends |
| College entrance assessment | Offered to every student | Grade 11 |
| Career readiness assessment | Given to every student | Grade 11 |
Source: SC Regs
View source
What the scores are used for
- End-of-course exam scores count for 20% of the student's final grade in each gateway course.
SC Regs
S.C. Code of Regulations, R. 43-262, Assessment Program (Chapter 43, PDF)South Carolina Legislature (State Board of Education regulations)- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Students may use grade 11 college and career readiness results to apply to college or jobs; the results stay on the student's permanent record for at least ten years.
SC Code
S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 18 (Education Accountability Act): §§ 59-18-310, -320 and -325South Carolina Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
National tests (SAT, ACT, AP, NAEP) are on the Exams hub.
Public colleges and universities
The state's public university system(s) and community colleges, from their own pages.
- University of South Carolina SystemUniversity system · The flagship Columbia campus, three comprehensive universities (Aiken, Beaufort and Upstate) and four regional Palmetto College campuses; the system confers nearly 40% of bachelor's and graduate degrees from South Carolina's public institutions.
- SC Technical College SystemCommunity colleges · The state's largest higher education system: 16 technical colleges plus readySC and Apprenticeship Carolina, serving more than 134,000 South Carolinians a year.
Sources: sc.edu returns 403 to requests from India; the academic bulletin prints the system mission approved by the Commission on Higher Education on 2023-12-18. sctechsystem.edu times out from India; read from the Internet Archive capture of 2025-08-28 (20250828210435).USC
SC Tech System
Every school in South Carolina, public and private, with cost and completion: 87 colleges, community colleges and trade schools, with 10 city pages.
In-state tuition: the residency rule
Public colleges charge less to state residents. Who counts as a resident is set by state law or the college system, not by where you went to school alone.
- S.C. Code § 59-112-20: independent persons who have lived in and been domiciled in South Carolina for at least 12 months, intending to make a permanent home there, and their dependents may get in-state rates.
SC Code
S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 112, Tuition Rates for Residents and Nonresidents (§ 59-112-20, domicile)South Carolina Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- Independent persons domiciled for less than 12 months but employed full time in the state, and their dependents, may get in-state rates while that full-time job lasts.
SC Code
S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 112, Tuition Rates for Residents and Nonresidents (§ 59-112-20, domicile)South Carolina Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
- A dependent minor's domicile is presumed to be the parent's.
SC Code
S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 112, Tuition Rates for Residents and Nonresidents (§ 59-112-20, domicile)South Carolina Legislature- Checked
- 22 Oct 2026
The college's residency office makes the final decision. More on costs: What college costs.
State financial aid
Run by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education (CHE). Federal aid (Pell Grants, loans) starts with the FAFSA: FAFSA, grants and loans.
LIFE Scholarship
Merit scholarship for students who graduated from a South Carolina high school (or meet the other residence routes) and qualify for in-state tuition, with a 3.0 high school GPA and an SAT of 1100 or the ACT equivalent (no test score needed at two-year and technical colleges). Students keep it with a 3.0 college GPA and 30 credit hours a year. che.sc.gov blocks India (CloudFront); the award amount is set each year by the Commission and budget, so only eligibility is quoted.SC Code
Licensing boards
Lawyers, doctors, CPAs and nurses need a South Carolina license from a state board, even after passing a national exam. These are the boards that grant it.
| License | South Carolina board | Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer How bar admission works | South Carolina Supreme Court, Board of Law Examiners | Uniform Bar Exam (MBE, MEE and MPT). MPRE required (passing score 77). NextGen UBE from July 2028. NCBESouth Carolina: bar admission informationNational Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE)
Bar admission agency, the NCBE exams the jurisdiction requires, MPRE passing score and NextGen UBE plans. NCBE advises checking the agency itself for the latest rules. View source |
| Physician How a medical license works | South Carolina Board of Medical Examiners | USMLE (M.D.) or COMLEX-USA (D.O.) FSMBContact a State Medical BoardFederation of State Medical Boards (FSMB)
Directory of every state's medical (and separate osteopathic) board. fsmb.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 14 Sep 2026; each board link was then opened on 22 Oct 2026, through the board's site or, where it blocks reads from India, its latest archive capture. View source |
| CPA How the CPA license works | South Carolina Board of Accountancy | Uniform CPA Examination NASBAState Boards of AccountancyNational Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
Directory of the 55 boards of accountancy. nasba.org answers automated reads with 403, so it was read from the Internet Archive capture of 15 Oct 2026; board links that had moved were replaced with the board's current page, opened on 22 Oct 2026. View source |
| Registered nurse How the RN license works | South Carolina Board of Nursing | NCLEX-RN · Nurse Licensure Compact member since Jan. 19, 2018 NCSBNContact South Carolina Board of NursingNational Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)
NCSBN / NLCNLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF)National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact)
|
Engineering, teaching, real estate, cosmetology and the trades have their own boards: all professional licenses · trades and apprenticeships.
State and city government jobs
Federal jobs are on USAJOBS; state and city governments hire through their own systems.
SC Careers
South Carolina Department of Administration, Division of State Human Resources
- Create a NEOGOV account and apply online for jobs in more than 70 state agencies; some agencies run their own e-recruitment sites, linked from the portal.
- Postings with a closing date of continuous stay open until filled. Ask the hiring agency's HR office about application status.
Source: careers.sc.gov blocks India (CloudFront); read from Internet Archive captures of the FAQ (2026-05-20, 20260520032726) and the home page (2026-10-16, 20261016233708).SC State HR
Police, fire and other public-safety routes: Public Service & Safety hub.
Registered apprenticeship
South Carolina has no State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers programs here. California is listed under both OA and SAA.Apprenticeship.gov
- South Carolina Apprenticeship Office (U.S. Department of Labor)South Carolina has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency: the U.S. Department of Labor's South Carolina Apprenticeship Office registers programs. Apprenticeship Carolina, part of the SC Technical College System, helps employers build them.
- Trades and apprenticeshipsElectrician, plumber, HVAC and other trade routes on this site
Source: Apprenticeship.gov
View source
Where these facts come from
Official and primary sources only, each checked on the date shown. Rules on testing, aid, licensing and immigration change, so confirm a detail with its source before you rely on it.
- Annual Estimates of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and State Rankings: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (NST-EST2025-POPCHG2020-2025, CSV) · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2025) checked 2026-10-21
- South Carolina: bar admission information · National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact a State Medical Board · Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) checked 2026-10-22
- State Boards of Accountancy · National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) checked 2026-10-22
- Contact South Carolina Board of Nursing · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) checked 2026-10-22
- NLC states and implementation dates (NLC map, PDF) · National Council of State Boards of Nursing (Nurse Licensure Compact) checked 2026-10-07
- S.C. Code of Regulations, R. 43-234, Defined Program, Grades 9-12 and Graduation Requirements (Chapter 43, PDF) · South Carolina Legislature (State Board of Education regulations) checked 2026-10-22
- S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 18 (Education Accountability Act): §§ 59-18-310, -320 and -325 · South Carolina Legislature checked 2026-10-22
- S.C. Code § 59-39-100, Uniform diplomas; units required · South Carolina Legislature checked 2026-10-22
- S.C. Code of Regulations, R. 43-262, Assessment Program (Chapter 43, PDF) · South Carolina Legislature (State Board of Education regulations) checked 2026-10-22
- The University: mission of the University of South Carolina System (Academic Bulletin) · University of South Carolina checked 2026-10-22
- About Us: SC Technical College System · South Carolina Technical College System checked 2026-10-22
- S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 112, Tuition Rates for Residents and Nonresidents (§ 59-112-20, domicile) · South Carolina Legislature checked 2026-10-22
- S.C. Code Title 59, Chapter 149, LIFE Scholarships (§§ 59-149-10, -50) · South Carolina Legislature checked 2026-10-22
- SC Careers: FAQs and home page · South Carolina Department of Administration, Division of State Human Resources checked 2026-10-22
- State Offices: Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agency contacts by state · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21
- The Apprenticeship System: Office of Apprenticeship (OA) and recognized State Apprenticeship Agency (SAA) states · U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship checked 2026-10-21