Best Public Administration Schools Near Orangeburg, SC (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Orangeburg, South Carolina has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs. Orangeburg has a population of about 13,189. Median household income is $33,066 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In South Carolina, the top-earning public administration-related role is General and Operations Manager at a median $106,080 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Public Administration Schools to Orangeburg

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer public administration programs near Orangeburg, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Orangeburg 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 Orangeburg. 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-Columbia

Columbia, SC 36.0 miles from Orangeburg
  • 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

#2

Columbia International University

Columbia, SC 42.0 miles from Orangeburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
44.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 75%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,951
Avg net price $26,036/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

South University-Columbia

Columbia, SC 42.2 miles from Orangeburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
18.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 29%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $34,421
Avg net price $27,693/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 39%
  • Programs offered: 14

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

College of Charleston

Charleston, SC 72.6 miles from Orangeburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.2 BOC Score
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: 77

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Anderson University

Anderson, SC 123.7 miles from Orangeburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,101
Avg net price $23,544/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Strayer University-South Carolina

Greenville, SC 127.8 miles from Orangeburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
25.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 15%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Avg net price $17,979/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 30%
  • Programs offered: 17

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Clemson University

Clemson, SC 139.3 miles from Orangeburg
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
80.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,513
Avg net price $22,253/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 136

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Public Administration Wages Near Orangeburg

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (South Carolina, statewide)
Social and Community Service Manager$73,410
Urban and Regional Planner$75,810
General and Operations Manager$106,080
Management Analyst$100,660

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.

Orangeburg at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population13,189Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$33,066Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+27.2%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Orangeburg-Area Cities With Public Administration Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited public administration schools are near Orangeburg, SC?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering public administration programs near Orangeburg. The closest is University of South Carolina-Columbia in Columbia, SC (36.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is College of Charleston (72.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying public administration roles in South Carolina?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying public administration-related roles in South Carolina are: General and Operations Manager ($106,080), Management Analyst ($100,660), Urban and Regional Planner ($75,810). Wages for Orangeburg workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Columbia instead of Orangeburg?

Columbia, SC is 37.6 miles from Orangeburg and has its own set of local public administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Orangeburg an affordable place to study public administration?

Orangeburg’s median household income of $33,066 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Orangeburg 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 Public Administration Programs

Other Programs Available in Orangeburg

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

Data verified: August 31, 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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