The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education's 45th annual Statistical Abstract is now available as a comprehensive source for the most recent data and trends across South Carolina’s system of postsecondary education. 

The abstract includes a range of subjects such as enrollment data, student demographics, degrees awarded, state-funded sources of financial aid, and beyond.  

Some key points in this year’s abstract include:  

• Total headcount enrollment increased 3.56 percent, from 230,566 in Fall semester of 2021 to 237,973 in Fall of 2022

• Across all sectors of institutions, technical college sector recorded the highest percent increase in full time enrollment growth for 2022 with a 7.5 percent increase over the previous year. 

• 55,803 total degrees were awarded during the 2021-2022 year, a .7 percent increase over 2020-2021. 26,520 bachelor’s degrees were awarded, 18,850 other undergraduate level degrees were awarded, and 10,433 graduate-level degrees were awarded. 

• Business, management, marketing, and related support services remained the most popular academic disciplines, followed by health professions and related programs. 

• 177,346 students were in-state residents (an increase of 2.81 percent from 172,484 in the previous year) and 45,843 were first-time undergraduate students, a 6.2 percent increase from 43,164 in the previous year. 

• The number of high school students taking college courses rose from 18,645 in the previous year to 21,152, a 13.4 percent increase. 

• Transfer numbers reported a .3 percent decline from last year’s report: 14,217 students were reported as first-time transfer students (14,261 last year). Of these students, 8,429 were transfers among South Carolina institutions (a 4.4 percent decrease from 8,819 last year). 

State scholarship funding also increased from $414,670,136 in the 2021-2022 academic year to $423,315,602 during the 2022-23 academic year, which was disbursed through five main scholarships: 

• $203,808,903 awarded through LIFE Scholarships 

• $70,979,998 through Palmetto Fellows scholarships 

• $55,727,386 through Lottery Tuition Assistance 

• $80,554,696 through Need-based Grants 

• $12,244,620 through HOPE scholarships. 

The CHE’s Statistical Abstract is the result of collaboration with institutions’ data representatives and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). 

For more details, download the complete 2023 Statistical Abstract.