Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Summerville, SC (2026)

Summerville, South Carolina has a population of about 51,262. The city’s median household income is $78,621 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 31.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Our directory has 31 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Summerville, with tuition ranging from $4,488 to $29,957 per year for indexed programs. In the Charleston-North Charleston, SC metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $97,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2024).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Summerville

The 10 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 31 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Summerville. Distances are calculated from Summerville city center.

SchoolCityDistanceTuitionOnline
Charleston Southern UniversityCharleston, SC6.4 miContact school for pricing
Trident Technical CollegeCharleston, SC10.0 mi$4,564 - $11,453
Citadel Military College of South CarolinaCharleston, SC19.2 miContact school for pricing
College of CharlestonCharleston, SC20.6 miContact school for pricing
Williamsburg Technical CollegeKingstree, SC49.7 mi$4,488 - $14,074
Technical College of the LowcountryBeaufort, SC50.1 miContact school for pricing
South Carolina State UniversityOrangeburg, SC51.6 mi$11,060 - $29,957
Claflin UniversityOrangeburg, SC51.9 miContact school for pricing
Orangeburg Calhoun Technical CollegeOrangeburg, SC53.0 miContact school for pricing
Denmark Technical CollegeDenmark, SC58.7 miContact school for pricing

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Summerville

Summerville 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)
Public Relations Specialist$63,450Charleston-North Charleston, SC$62,822
Management Analyst$97,090Charleston-North Charleston, SC$96,129
Technical Writer$84,350Charleston-North Charleston, SC$83,515
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$45,370Charleston-North Charleston, SC$44,921
Editor$61,210Charleston-North Charleston, SC$60,604
Training and Development Specialist$82,140Charleston-North Charleston, SC$81,327
Human Resources Specialist$68,070Charleston-North Charleston, SC$67,396

Source: BLS, May 2024 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.


Summerville at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population51,262Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$78,621Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+31.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)101.0 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Summerville-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Summerville, SC?

Our directory has 31 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Summerville. The closest is Charleston Southern University in Charleston, SC (6.4 miles), and the farthest in our top picks is Denmark Technical College (58.7 miles). 0 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Summerville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2024 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Summerville are: Management Analyst ($97,090), Technical Writer ($84,350), Training and Development Specialist ($82,140). 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 North Charleston instead of Summerville?

North Charleston, SC is 9.1 miles from Summerville and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Summerville an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Summerville’s median household income of $78,621 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Summerville 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.


Data verified: May 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2024; 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.