Best Accounting Schools Near Columbia, SC (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Columbia, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs. Columbia has a population of about 138,019. Median household income is $55,653 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 46.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Columbia, SC metro area, the top-earning accounting-related role is Financial Manager at a median $124,790 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Accounting Schools to Columbia

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer accounting programs near Columbia, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbia city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Columbia. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Benedict College

Columbia, SC 6.8 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
16.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $31,902
Avg net price $18,250/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Columbia College

Columbia, SC 7.2 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
37.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 52%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,338
Avg net price $18,408/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC 7.5 miles from Columbia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,177
Avg net price $22,811/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 165

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all South Carolina schools on the South Carolina accounting page.

Accounting Wages Near Columbia

Columbia is part of the Columbia, SC metro area (BLS area code 17900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Accountant and Auditor $69,210 Columbia, SC $73,863
Financial Manager $124,790 Columbia, SC $133,180
Financial Analyst $87,630 Columbia, SC $93,522
Budget Analyst $82,980 Columbia, SC $88,559
Tax Preparer $36,150 Columbia, SC $38,581
Tax Examiner and Collector $73,210 Columbia, SC $78,132
Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerk $46,690 Columbia, SC $49,829

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Columbia at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 138,019 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $55,653 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 46.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Accounting-related employment in Richland County 1,090 workers, 208 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Columbia-Area Cities With Accounting Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited accounting schools are near Columbia, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering accounting programs near Columbia. The closest is Benedict College in Columbia, SC (6.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Central Carolina Technical College (31.4 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying accounting roles near Columbia?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying accounting-related roles near Columbia are: Financial Manager ($124,790), Financial Analyst ($87,630), Budget Analyst ($82,980). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with South Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Lexington instead of Columbia?

Lexington, SC is 18.4 miles from Columbia and has its own set of local accounting programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Columbia an affordable place to study accounting?

Columbia’s median household income of $55,653 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Columbia while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Carolina public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Accounting Programs

Other Programs Available in Columbia

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Columbia:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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