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Central Business DistrictPhoto: JayeeDior12 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Orangeburg

Orangeburg is a college town: 20 of every 100 residents are students

South Carolina State University (2,870 students on campus) and Claflin University (1,608) are inside the city. Across South Carolina, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town20% of residents are studentsClaflin UniversitySouth Carolina State University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Orangeburg. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
3
5,363 students on campus
Nearest college
0.8 mi
Claflin University
Residents in college
20%
Above SC (6%)
Nearest community college
4.2 mi
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College · $5,210 tuition
Nearest public university
1.1 mi
South Carolina State · $11,060 in-state
Students on campus in Orangeburg
4,478
next to 13,383 residents

What stands out about college in Orangeburg

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town20 of every 100 Orangeburg residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.Two colleges within 1.1 milesClaflin University admits 65% of applicants; South Carolina State University admits 83%. Together they have 4,478 students on campus.In-state price at South Carolina StateLiving in South Carolina, South Carolina State University charges $11,060 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $21,750. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 4.2 miles awayOrangeburg Calhoun Technical College in Orangeburg: tuition and fees $5,210 a year for South Carolina residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Orangeburg

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

20 of every 100 Orangeburg residents are in college (SC: 6).

4,478students on campus at Orangeburg’s 2 colleges, next to 13,383 residents (dorm students count as residents)
329college students live in Orangeburg households rather than dorms
36.4median age · SC 40.2
55%of homes rented · SC 28%
$848median rent · 28% below the state
OrangeburgOrangeburg, SC
Cost of living$848/mo median rentCSafetyCrime reported to the FBID−HealthCDC estimatesC−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundDHandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Orangeburg’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income D

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 32.2% of Orangeburg residents are below the poverty line, 32.4% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 8 points either way). 24% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 20%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health C−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Orangeburg’s median age is 36.4 (South Carolina 40.2), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety D−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Orangeburg

One private college within 0.8 miles, one public college within 1.1 miles, and Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College 4.2 miles away.

5 mi10 mi15 miSouth Carolina StateClaflin UniversityOrangeburg Calhoun Technical CollegeOrangeburg
University or collegeCommunity college
Claflin UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,608 on campus · In Orangeburg65%admitted$18knet price52%graduate$40kearningsSouth Carolina State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 2,870 on campus · In Orangeburg83%admitted$18knet price37%graduate$38kearningsOrangeburg Calhoun Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · 885 on campus · 4.2 mi · Orangeburg · mostly online$6knet price32%graduate$36kearnings59% of its students study only online; price, graduation and earnings count them too.Tuition and fees: $5,210 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Orangeburg’s median household income ($38,635) falls.

Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College4.2 mi · Orangeburg · mostly online · sticker $15,165 · tuition $5,210$5,679a year
South Carolina State UniversityIn Orangeburg · sticker $30,015$16,968a year
Claflin UniversityIn Orangeburg · sticker $33,530$21,118a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Orangeburg: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Claflin UniversitySouth Carolina StateOrangeburg Calhoun Technical College
South Carolina State University37% graduate$38k earnings$31k typical debt
Claflin University52% graduate$40k earnings$29k typical debt
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College32% graduate$36k earnings$11k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Orangeburg

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Orangeburg’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 16%Biology 13%Family sciences 8%Health professions 8%Public safety 8%Education 5%Everything else 42%

Biggest programs

Psychology, GeneralClaflin University · 51 graduates a year
$39k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingClaflin University · 39 graduates a year
$83k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessClaflin University · 30 graduates a year
$37k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsClaflin University · 30 graduates a year
$41k4 yrs out
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, GeneralSouth Carolina State University · 28 graduates a year
$40k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralClaflin University · 22 graduates a year
$36k4 yrs out
Biology, GeneralSouth Carolina State University · 22 graduates a year
$38k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsSouth Carolina State University · 22 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Orangeburg

Is Orangeburg a college town?

Yes. 20 of every 100 Orangeburg residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across South Carolina. South Carolina State University has 2,870 students on campus, next to 13,383 residents.

What colleges are in Orangeburg?

South Carolina State University and Claflin University are inside the city. Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College is 4.2 miles away in Orangeburg.

What is the closest community college to Orangeburg, and what does it cost?

Orangeburg Calhoun Technical College in Orangeburg, 4.2 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,210 a year for South Carolina residents; the federal net price, $6,186, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into South Carolina State University?

South Carolina State University admitted 83% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Orangeburg. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →