MPH Programs in South Carolina

Which South Carolina MPH Fits You

USC Columbia, for choice and research depth. The University of South Carolina awarded 68 public health master’s degrees in 2022-23, the most in the state. On campus you pick from five MPH concentrations, including the uncommon MPH in Physical Activity and Public Health. Online, three concentrations run through SOPHAS: the online MPH in Epidemiology at 43 credit hours, plus health promotion and health services policy at 45. If you lean quantitative, USC also offers MS degrees in biostatistics, epidemiology and environmental health sciences.

MUSC, for a clinical setting in Charleston. The Medical University of South Carolina houses its MPH in the College of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences. You apply directly, not through SOPHAS. The online generalist MPH takes 45 credits over five semesters and includes a 180-hour field placement. The residential MPH offers epidemiology, biostatistics and health behavior tracks, and admits students with advanced standing at 35 credits.

Clemson, for rural health. Clemson’s online MPH is built around rural outreach, with concentrations in Rural and Community Health or Outcomes and Quality Improvement. It runs as an evening cohort with synchronous meetings and ends with a 6-credit practicum. There’s no GRE and no application fee, but it admits only in fall, with applications due July 1 and priority given to those in by April 15. Clemson doesn’t appear on CEPH’s accredited list, so weigh that if you’re aiming for jobs that require a CEPH-accredited degree; see the CEPH accreditation guide.

What Residency Does to Your Bill

Residency matters a lot at USC and not at all for MUSC’s online MPH.

At the Arnold School, fall 2026 full-time graduate tuition is $6,867 a semester for South Carolina residents and $14,880 for non-residents. Part-time students pay $572.25 or $1,240 per credit hour. Every public health graduate student also pays a Health Professions Program Fee ($800 in-state, $1,100 out-of-state) and a $200 technology fee each semester. One way around the out-of-state rate: students awarded a graduate assistantship are charged in-state tuition and may get a tuition supplement from their department.

MUSC takes the opposite approach online. Its generalist MPH charges $7,785 per semester whether you live in South Carolina or not, which makes it one of the few ways a non-resident can pay the same as a local. MUSC’s residential MPH does split the rates: $6,752 a semester in-state and $10,538 out-of-state in fall and spring.

To see how these prices compare nationally, check the affordable MPH programs and online MPH programs pages. The scholarships guide covers funding beyond assistantships.