Hilton Head Reporter

Beaufort County's two universities admitted an estimated 80% of applicants for fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those who were admitted, 24% enrolled.

Of the two institutions in the county, University of South Carolina Beaufort was the only one that provided detailed enrollment data at the time.

At least 2,479 people applied to Beaufort County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.

NCES data shows that among them, around 4,320 students enrolled in the universities, including 4,249 in undergraduate and 71 in graduate programs. In total 7.6% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.

The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (53.8%) and Black or African American (23.6%) students.

Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Technical College of the Lowcountry stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 2,196 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.

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
Technical College of the Lowcountry	--	--	2,196
University of South Carolina Beaufort	2,479	1,983	2,124