Best General Studies Schools Near Lancaster, SC (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lancaster, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs. Lancaster has a population of about 8,738. Median household income is $43,234 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 17.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $112,730 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Lancaster

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer general studies programs near Lancaster, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lancaster 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 Lancaster. 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

University of South Carolina-Lancaster

Lancaster, SC 0.9 miles from Lancaster
  • 2 year
27.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,426
Avg net price $9,801/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near Lancaster

Lancaster is part of the Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC metro area (BLS area code 16740). 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)
General and Operations Managers $112,730 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $115,858
Management Analysts $102,920 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $105,776
Human Resources Specialists $78,330 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $80,504
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $82,930 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $85,231
Writers and Authors $63,720 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $65,488
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $60,300 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $61,973
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $65,170 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $66,978
Social and Community Service Managers $79,990 Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $82,210

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.

Lancaster at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 8,738 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $43,234 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 17.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Lancaster-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Lancaster, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Lancaster. The closest is University of South Carolina-Lancaster in Lancaster, SC (0.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wingate University (26.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Lancaster?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Lancaster are: General and Operations Managers ($112,730), Management Analysts ($102,920), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($82,930). 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 Rock Hill instead of Lancaster?

Rock Hill, SC is 20.5 miles from Lancaster and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lancaster an affordable place to study general studies?

Lancaster’s median household income of $43,234 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lancaster 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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Lancaster

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

Data verified: September 5, 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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