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Colleges in and near Valley Falls

Valley Falls is a college town: 24 of every 100 residents are students

The University of South Carolina-Upstate (3,772 students on campus) is inside the town, and Spartanburg Community College (4,623) is 2.5 miles from the center, just over the line in Southern Shops. Across South Carolina, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town24% of residents are studentsUniversity of South Carolina-UpstateSpartanburg Community CollegeWofford CollegeConverse 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 Valley Falls. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
6
12,776 students on campus
Nearest college
0.7 mi
University of South Carolina-Upstate
Residents in college
24%
Above SC (6%)
Nearest community college
2.5 mi
Spartanburg · $5,071 tuition
Nearest public university
0.7 mi
University of South Carolina-Upstate · $11,588 in-state
Students on campus in Valley Falls
3,772
next to 8,239 residents

What stands out about college in Valley Falls

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

A college town24 of every 100 Valley Falls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.Four colleges within 4.6 milesUniversity of South Carolina-Upstate admits 67% of applicants; Wofford College admits 52%; Converse University admits 68%. Together they have 11,532 students on campus.In-state price at University of South Carolina-UpstateLiving in South Carolina, the University of South Carolina-Upstate charges $11,588 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $23,090. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 2.5 miles awaySpartanburg Community College in Spartanburg: tuition and fees $5,071 a year for South Carolina residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Valley Falls

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

24 of every 100 Valley Falls residents are in college (SC: 6).

3,772students on campus at University of South Carolina-Upstate, next to 8,239 residents (dorm students count as residents)
1,239college students live in Valley Falls households rather than dorms
27.0median age · SC 40.2
56%of residents are women · SC 51% (±4.1 points)
50%of homes rented · SC 28%
$1,021median rent · 13% below the state
Cost of living$1,021/mo median rentC+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIHealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Valley Falls’ other numbers

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

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 22.6% of Valley Falls residents are below the poverty line, 13.0% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 11 points either way). 69% 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 24%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Valley Falls’ median age is 27.0 (South Carolina 40.2), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety

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 Valley Falls

Four private colleges within 4.6 miles, one public college within 0.7 miles, and two community colleges.

5 mi10 mi15 miSpartanburgUniversity of South Carolina-UpstateWofford CollegeValley Falls
University or collegeCommunity college
University of South Carolina-UpstateUniversity or college · Public · 3,772 on campus · In Valley Falls67%admitted$14knet price43%graduate$49kearningsSherman College of ChiropracticUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 381 on campus · 1.1 mi · Boiling SpringsGraduate students only; the Scorecard reports no undergraduate figures.Spartanburg Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · 4,623 on campus · 2.5 mi · Spartanburg$2knet price28%graduate$37kearningsTuition and fees: $5,071 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Spartanburg Methodist CollegeCommunity college · Private nonprofit · 863 on campus · 3.6 mi · Spartanburg78%admitted$15knet price43%graduate$43kearningsTuition and fees: $20,650 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.Wofford CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,873 on campus · 3.8 mi · Spartanburg52%admitted$19knet price84%graduate$69kearningsConverse UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,264 on campus · 4.6 mi · Spartanburg68%admitted$23knet price62%graduate$41kearnings

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 $48–75k, where Valley Falls’ median household income ($55,661) falls.

Spartanburg Community College2.5 mi · Spartanburg · sticker $11,505 · tuition $5,071$2,132a year
Wofford College3.8 mi · Spartanburg · sticker $72,441$10,830a year
University of South Carolina-UpstateIn Valley Falls · sticker $25,124$13,394a year
Spartanburg Methodist College3.6 mi · Spartanburg · sticker $32,183 · tuition $20,650$15,673a year
Converse University4.6 mi · Spartanburg · sticker $38,838$23,610a 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 Valley Falls: 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 →University of South Carolina-UpstateSpartanburgSpartanburg Methodist CollegeWofford CollegeConverse University
Spartanburg Community College28% graduate$37k earnings$6k typical debt
University of South Carolina-Upstate43% graduate$49k earnings$22k typical debt
Wofford College84% graduate$69k earnings$26k typical debt
Converse University62% graduate$41k earnings$27k typical debt
Spartanburg Methodist College43% graduate$43k earnings$12k 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 Valley Falls

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at University of South Carolina-Upstate, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 26%Business 12%Biology 9%Education 9%Computer science 8%Psychology 7%Everything else 28%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing257 graduates a year
$80k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods95 graduates a year
$42k4 yrs out
Criminal Justice and Corrections81 graduates a year
$48k4 yrs out
Psychology, General80 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities64 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences58 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations50 graduates a year
$62k4 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences, General42 graduates a year
$67k4 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 Valley Falls

Is Valley Falls a college town?

Yes. 24 of every 100 Valley Falls residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across South Carolina. The University of South Carolina-Upstate has 3,772 students on campus, next to 8,239 residents.

What colleges are in Valley Falls?

The University of South Carolina-Upstate is inside the town. Spartanburg Community College is 2.5 miles from the center, in Southern Shops, Wofford College is 3.8 miles from the center, in Spartanburg, and Converse University is 4.6 miles from the center, in Spartanburg.

Why is Valley Falls’ poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 22.6% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 13.0% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 11 points).

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

Spartanburg Community College in Spartanburg, 2.5 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,071 a year for South Carolina residents; the federal net price, $2,405, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into the University of South Carolina-Upstate?

The University of South Carolina-Upstate admitted 67% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,005–1,175 on the SAT.

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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 Valley Falls. 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 →