Andréa Backman, PhD, President | Strayer University-Columbia Campus
Andréa Backman, PhD, President | Strayer University-Columbia Campus
Of the 11 institutions in the county, six provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Columbia International University, University of South Carolina-Columbia and Columbia College.
At least 54,542 people applied to Richland County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 43,686 students enrolled in the universities, including 33,367 in undergraduate and 10,319 in graduate programs. Only 4.2% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (64.2%) and Black or African American (18.1%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, University of South Carolina-Columbia stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 35,653 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for Strayer University-Columbia Campus in Richland County.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern College-Columbia | 103 | 100 | 155 |
| Benedict College | 6,446 | 4,383 | 1,840 |
| Columbia College | 2,176 | 2,132 | 1,514 |
| Columbia International University | 506 | 243 | 2,481 |
| Strayer University-Columbia Campus | -- | -- | -- |
| Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Columbia | -- | -- | 117 |
| South University-Columbia | -- | -- | 510 |
| Allen University | 3,123 | 1,343 | 657 |
| Fortis College-Columbia | -- | -- | 431 |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | 42,188 | 27,000 | 35,653 |
| Southeastern Esthetics Institute | -- | -- | 328 |
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