Columbia College (SC) Competitors

Named by Forbes as one of America’s Best Employers (No. 96 out of 500), the University of South Carolina is a globally recognized, high-impact research university and one of only 32 public universities in the United States to receive both the top-tier research designation and the community engagement designation from the Carnegie Foundation. Founded in 1801, the University of South Carolina is located in the heart of Columbia, South Carolina — the No. 3 college town in the country — and centers around the lush, oak-filled historic Horseshoe. With 324 degree programs, the No. 1 international business program, the nation’s best honors college and 47 nationally ranked programs, the University of South Carolina offers both the breadth and the excellence for students to thrive in a 21st-century world. Kiplinger’s has named the University of South Carolina a Best Value in higher education, and Forbes has named the university one of America’s Best Value Colleges.

Furman University ranks as one of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges, providing students with a well-rounded, rigorous academic setting that prepares them for postgraduate lives in higher education and a diverse spectrum of professions. Our campus offers numerous opportunities for undergraduate research, internships, leadership development, and global experiences. Even with a student body of over 2,550 students, the university maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1. Furman rests at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains and boasts acclaimed natural beauty, with over 940 acres of woodland and a large lake overlooked by the famous Bell Tower.

Newberry College is a private, residential, co-educational institution with a diverse student population. Founded in 1856 and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Newberry College continues to be ranked among the Best Regional Colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report, rising five places to No. 11 for Best Colleges, defending its No. 6 rank for Best Value, capturing No. 6 for Social Mobility, and appearing on the unranked Economic Diversity list for 2021. Newberry also ranks No. 1 in South Carolina for least student loan debt per borrower, according to LendEDU. Offering baccalaureate degrees in 32 majors, online degree-completion programs and five dual-degree programs, the College’s foundation remains grounded in the liberal arts. In addition, the College offers 21 NCAA Division II sports, cheerleading, dance, and a growing esports program. Newberry College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and the National Association of Schools of Music.