Founded in 1896 as the state's sole public college for Black youth, South Carolina State University has played a key role in the education of African-Americans in the state and the nation. Located in Orangeburg, South Carolina as a land-grant institution, the university struggled to provide agricultural and mechanical training to generations of Black youngsters. Nevertheless, through its extension programs, it sent farm and home demonstration agents into rural counties to provide knowledge and information to impoverished Black farm families.

ACADEMIC MERIT

    Today, with nearly 5,000 students majoring in a wide range of programs that include agribusiness, accounting, art, English, and drama, as well as fashion merchandising, physics, psychology, and political science, South Carolina State is consistently among the national leaders in producing African-American students with baccalaureate degrees in biology, education, business, engineering, the technology and computer sciences, mathematics, and English language and literature. Additionally, they are one of three universities in the state offering a doctoral program in Educational Administration, and one of two schools offering an accredited master’s degree program in Speech-Language Pathology.

    The university's central location in the state provides easy access to the beaches, mountains, and nearby metropolitan centers as Charleston, Columbia, Charlotte, and Atlanta. Since 1966 enrollment has been open to all races students and faculty, but it has largely retained its mission and character as a historically Black institution.

    The college farm was transformed into a community recreation center consisting of a golf course as well as soccer and baseball fields. Nevertheless other campus groups and organizations encompass the German Culture, Economics, Criminal Justice, Social Work, and Spanish Clubs, various fraternities and sororities, the Concert Choir, International Students Association, Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and the Young Democrats groups.

ADDRESS: 300 College Street NE, Orangeburg, SC
PHONE: 803-536-7000
WEBSITE: http://www.scsu.edu