What Is SCICU? South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, Inc., (SCICU) was established in 1953 to promote the cause of independent higher education in South Carolina. Today, SCICU comprises twenty private institutions located throughout the state in pastoral communities, small towns, and urban settings. These colleges and universities serve the needs of more than 33,000 students.
Five of our colleges are historically black institutions and two are women’s colleges. Several of our schools are ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the southeast. And South Carolina’s independent colleges and universities offer a wide variety of traditional degree programs, as well as accelerated and evening college programs for adults. SCICU member schools are committed to providing a public benefit in three key areas: (1) Increasing choices for postsecondary higher education to all South Carolinians at a fraction of the cost to the state; (2) Strengthening our state economy and our future tax base in South Carolina; and (3) Turning our first-class college graduates on time and with skills and values desired by South Carolina employers.
Quick Facts
• South Carolina independent colleges and universities are economic engines and cultural centers adding over $750 million annually to the state’s economy.
• Our independent institutions are marvelously diverse and have served the state’s minority communities for many generations. Our overall minority enrollment is 42 percent; excluding the historically black colleges, minority enrollment is 18 percent.
• South Carolina’s independent colleges and universities employ nearly 5000 faculty and staff.
• While only enrolling approximately 15 percent of all undergraduates in the state, SCICU member colleges and universities produce 26 percent of the state’s four-year degrees, including: (a) 26.3 percent of all undergraduate education degrees; (b) 31.2 percent of all business management and administration degrees; and (c) 22.5 percent of biological/life science degrees.
• Overall, graduation rates on a four-year cycle at South Carolina's independent colleges and universities are higher than the senior public institutions. Several of our schools have four-year graduation rates well over 70 percent.
• South Carolina’s independent colleges and universities save South Carolina taxpayers more than $150 million each year in direct tuition subsidies and other institutional support required to enroll an equivalent number of students in public colleges.
