Best Online Education Programs in Charleston, SC (2026)

Charleston, South Carolina has 2 accredited schools offering education programs, with tuition ranging from $5,498 to $29,957 per year for indexed programs. Charleston has a population of about 152,014. Median household income is $90,038 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 57.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, the top-earning education-related role is Education Administrator, Postsecondary at a median $106,800 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Education Schools to Charleston

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer education programs near Charleston, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Charleston 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 Charleston. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, SC 1.2 miles from Charleston BOC Score 77.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,085
Avg net price $20,723/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

College of Charleston

Charleston, SC 2.6 miles from Charleston BOC Score 65.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,416
Avg net price $18,960/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Charleston Southern University

Charleston, SC 13.2 miles from Charleston BOC Score 35.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,898
Avg net price $21,666/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 63%
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Education Wages Near Charleston

Charleston is part of the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area (BLS area code 16700). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to South Carolina statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Secondary School Teacher$65,280Charleston-North Charleston, SC$64,634
Elementary School Teacher$61,020Charleston-North Charleston, SC$60,416
Middle School Teacher$62,530Charleston-North Charleston, SC$61,911
Education Teacher, Postsecondary$81,870Charleston-North Charleston, SC$81,059
Education Administrator, K-12$104,370Charleston-North Charleston, SC$103,337
Education Administrator, Postsecondary$106,800Charleston-North Charleston, SC$105,743
Tutor$31,910Charleston-North Charleston, SC$31,594
Educational and Career Counselor$62,140Charleston-North Charleston, SC$61,525

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.


Charleston at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population152,014Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$90,038Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+57.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.0 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Education-related employment in Charleston County4,256 workers, 317 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Charleston-Area Cities With Education Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited education schools are near Charleston, SC?

Accredited schools offering education programs near Charleston are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying education roles near Charleston?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying education-related roles near Charleston are: Education Administrator, Postsecondary ($106,800), Education Administrator, K-12 ($104,370), Education Teacher, Postsecondary ($81,870). 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 Hanahan instead of Charleston?

Hanahan, SC is 8.4 miles from Charleston and has its own set of local education programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Charleston an affordable place to study education?

Charleston’s median household income of $90,038 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Charleston 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 Education Programs

Other Programs Available in Charleston

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

Data verified: July 23, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.