Research expenditures by university in South Carolina, FY2024
17 institutions in South Carolina reported to the NSF HERD survey in FY2024, and together they spent $991.4 million, 0.8% of the US total. Clemson University leads at $338.5 million — #103 nationally, ahead of Medical University of South Carolina at $321.0 million. 13 spent more than in FY2023 and 4 spent less. The list runs down to Converse University at $371 thousand; every name on it links to that institution's own page.
- Institutions
- 17
- FY2024 R&D
- $991.4 million
- Share of the US total
- 0.8%
Universities in South Carolina ranked, FY2024
| In South Carolina | Institution | US rank | FY2024 R&D | Change on FY2023 | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Clemson University | #103 | $338.5M | +18.2% | up 6 |
| 2 | Medical University of South Carolina | #105 | $321.0M | −3.8% | down 9 |
| 3 | University of South Carolina, Columbia | #118 | $277.3M | +5.8% | down 5 |
| 4 | South Carolina State University | #351 | $12.5M | +59.9% | up 38 |
| 5 | College of Charleston | #389 | $8.7M | +19.8% | up 11 |
| 6 | Benedict College | #405 | $7.8M | +237.6% | up 156 |
| 7 | Coastal Carolina University | #462 | $5.1M | +7.7% | down 2 |
| 8 | Citadel Military College of South Carolina | #468 | $5.0M | +32.3% | up 20 |
| 9 | Winthrop University | #520 | $3.5M | +8.7% | down 11 |
| 10 | Furman University | #533 | $3.2M | +42.5% | up 32 |
| 11 | University of South Carolina Upstate | #553 | $2.8M | +8.2% | down 12 |
| 12 | Claflin University | #612 | $1.8M | +28.1% | up 23 |
| 13 | University of South Carolina, Aiken | #627 | $1.6M | −28.5% | down 58 |
| 14 | University of South Carolina, Beaufort | #677 | $1.2M | −19.7% | down 49 |
| 15 | Francis Marion University | #750 | $754K | +144.8% | up 100 |
| 16 | Coker University | #845 | $391K | −1.8% | down 29 |
| 17 | Converse University | #852 | $371K | +81.0% | up 34 |
| All 17 | $991.4M | ||||
Rank is a competition rank: two institutions that spent the same share a rank and the next one is skipped. Figures are NSF's own, as revised in the FY2024 release, and are shown to one decimal. How these numbers are built.
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Data: NSF HERD FY2024, built from NSF's published tables on September 8, 2026. Page updated September 13, 2026.
Data: National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, National Science Foundation, Higher Education Research and Development Survey, FY2024.
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