2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in South Carolina

[Fine & Studio Arts](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 27 schools to find the best return on investment for fine & studio arts students.
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2026 Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools in South Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in fine & studio arts, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Fine & Studio Arts Schools
Francis Marion University tops our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools in South Carolina. Set in the rural area of Florence, Francis Marion University is a mid-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,170, compared with $21,544 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $30,577 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Francis Marion University generally make around $41,456. That is a strong return on a $30,577 median debt. The acceptance rate is 86%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of South Carolina Upstate earned it the #2 place for fine & studio arts. Located in the suburb of Spartanburg, University Of South Carolina Upstate is a moderately-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $11,588, compared with $23,090 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $26,500. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $35,203. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of South Carolina Upstate admits about 67% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of South Carolina Aiken earned it the #3 place for fine & studio arts. Located in the suburb of Aiken, University Of South Carolina Aiken is a mid-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $10,760 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $21,218. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $23,567 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from University Of South Carolina Aiken generally make around $19,963. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 78% of applicants are accepted.
Coastal Carolina University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts, landing the #4 spot this year. Located in the city of Conway, Coastal Carolina University is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,640, compared with $29,628 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Coastal Carolina University earn a median of $23,121 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
University Of South Carolina Beaufort is a great value for students pursuing a degree in fine & studio arts, landing the #5 spot this year. University Of South Carolina Beaufort is a mid-sized public school located in the town of Bluffton. In-state tuition and fees average $10,730, with out-of-state students paying around $21,776. Students borrow a median of $27,971 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $38,254. That is a strong return on a $27,971 median debt. The acceptance rate is 72%.
Lander University came in at #6 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the town of Greenwood, Lander University is a mid-sized public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,700, compared with $21,300 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,937 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Fine & Studio Arts graduates of Lander University earn a median of $21,605 early in their careers. Set against $26,937 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 81%.
Winthrop University placed #7 among the best values for fine & studio arts. Located in the city of Rock Hill, Winthrop University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $14,678 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,676. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $29,187 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $16,817. Set against $29,187 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Winthrop University admits about 79% of applicants.
College Of Charleston landed the #8 spot for fine & studio arts value this year. Set in the city of Charleston, College Of Charleston is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,978, compared with $38,296 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $21,500. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from College Of Charleston generally make around $24,070. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
Converse College placed #9 among the best values for fine & studio arts. Converse College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the city of Spartanburg. In-state tuition and fees average $25,240. Students borrow a median of $26,715 to complete the fine & studio arts program here. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Converse College generally make around $38,940. Set against $26,715 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Converse College admits about 68% of applicants.
Clemson University came in at #10 for value in fine & studio arts this year. Located in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,554, compared with $40,866 for out-of-state students. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $23,783 in student loans. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Clemson University generally make around $53,834. Set against $23,783 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Clemson University admits about 38% of applicants.
University Of South Carolina Columbia placed #11 among the best values for fine & studio arts. Set in the city of Columbia, University Of South Carolina Columbia is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,688 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $36,298. Fine & Studio Arts graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career fine & studio arts graduates make about $27,467. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Anderson University Sc ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best value fine & studio arts schools. Set in the city of Anderson, Anderson University Sc is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $34,970. Typical student debt for fine & studio arts graduates is $28,034. Soon after graduation, fine & studio arts degree recipients from Anderson University Sc generally make around $49,036. That is a strong return on a $28,034 median debt. Roughly 55% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 27 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.