Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Secondary School Teachers
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at USC Upstate, Coastal Carolina University, Benedict, and Midlands Technical College.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Limestone, Southern Wesleyan University, Columbia International, and USC Aiken.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Columbia College and Converse.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Benedict, Morris College, Claflin, and South Carolina State.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Southern Wesleyan University, Limestone, Columbia International, and Erskine College and Seminary.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Bob Jones, Furman, The Citadel, and Coastal Carolina University.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Presbyterian College, Wofford College, Furman, and Erskine College and Seminary.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Furman, Clemson, Wofford College, and College of Charleston.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Claflin, Lander, Limestone, and USC Aiken.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Erskine College and Seminary, Furman, Wofford College, and Presbyterian College.
Working as a Secondary School Teacher in South Carolina
Teachers of students in grades 7-12 instruct them with coursework that delves deeper into areas of interest such as science, math, English, history, music, art, language, drama, sports and social sciences. Read a detailed Secondary School Teacher job description and schools overview.
The South Carolina Education Association, Southeastern Regional Association of Teacher Educators, and South Carolina Association of Teacher Educators can provide additional professional development resources.
State Requirements
The South Carolina Department of Education Office of Teacher Certification requires that all secondary school teachers be licensed. Licensure requirements include:
- A bachelors degree from a regionally-accredited college or university's state-approved teacher education program
- Passing score in the specific grade level on the Praxis Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT) exam
- Passing score on required Praxis II exams in specialty areas
Major Industries
Most secondary school teachers in South Carolina work for public or private secondary schools, or education support services.
Major Employers
A few representative employers of secondary school teachers in South Carolina include:
- Beaufort High School (Public Secondary School)
- Clover High School (Public Secondary School)
- Dorman High School (Public Secondary School)
- Fort Dorchester High School (Public Secondary School)
- Gaffney Sr High School (Public Secondary School)
- Hillcrest Sr High School (Public Secondary School)
- Lexington High School (Public Secondary School)
- Mauldin High School (Public Secondary School)
- Rock Hill High School (Public Secondary School)
- Stratford High School (Public Secondary School)
- Summerville High School (Public Secondary School)
- Sumter High School (Public Secondary School)
- Wando High School (Public Secondary School)
- SC Governor's School for Science and Mathematics Foundation, Inc. (Educational Services)
- College Summit (Educational Services)
- Sylvan Learning Centers (Educational Services)
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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University Of SC • Columbia, SC
Studying Studio Art (completion in 1994)
"I attended more than 5 years ago, so I guess I can't rate it? I guess I was a little disappointed with the school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | no | |
| Program Reputation | 5 | I don't really know the reputation. Nobody has ever said anything either way. |
| Program Quality | 1 | I transferred to USC thinking the program would be better than the one I left at a small private college. The program was a joke, but at the time, I just got the remaining credits to graduate and got out of there. I regret transferring to USC |
| How Difficult | 1 | Nobody really took anything seriously. I think the university was in the process of getting rid of a lot of the programs. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | You can't really learn art from a book. It was very hands-on.|USC is not the best in art. International Business? Yes. Art? No. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | Since I was a full-time student, I didn't have a problem with the schedule. I wanted to take most classes in the first part of the day. |
| Academic Facilities | 1 | There was very little money spent on the facilities. The university was in the process of discontinuing some programs. |
| Social Life | 5 | The athletic program was very vibrant, but I didn't feel a part of things. A lot of my friends enjoyed tailgating and going to the games. |
| Placement Services | 1 | I stopped by once or twice to the career planning office. I don't even remember what they said. It wasn't really worth my time. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I never hear from them, I never really want to hear from them. I guess I don't feel very connected to my school. |
Winthrop University • Rock Hill, SC
Studying Instrumental Music Education K-12 (completion in 2009)
• 3/1/2012
"I loved Winthrop because it was a smaller school. The average class size was around 20, and that got even smaller as I got into my upper-level classes. The school spirit was still high, and everyone was friendly, including the faculty."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | At Winthrop, I believe that I learned everything I could possibly learn in college about my career. There are things that you just have to wait to learn until you get out there and experience for yourself, but besides those things, I got it all at Winthrop. |
| Program Reputation | 9 | I believe the reputation for obtaining a music education degree at Winthrop is getting better. I'm seeing more and more high school students pursue this degree at Winthrop. |
| Program Quality | 9 | The music faculty at Winthrop was very knowledgeable. They worked hard to teach us the information we needed to know, as well as the real-world lessons we'd need once we began our careers. |
| Instruction | 9 | We were required to take many classes to obtain our degree. Some were knowledge-based and others were experience-based. This helped us become well-rounded teachers. |
| How Difficult | 9 | The classes I took at Winthrop definitely were not the college courses where you could sleep through them and still pass the test. I studied often and worked hard to complete my degree. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | It was a good mix of knowledge and experience. We learned what we needed to know from the books, and we were able to put it to use in a safe "practice" environment. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 6 | I think Winthrop's class schedule flexibility is about the same as any other college. Some classes were harder to get than others. For some, you could pick whether you wanted morning/evening, etc. |
| Academic Facilities | 8 | Winthrop's campus is fantastic because it is ever changing. While I was there, an entire new gym was built and opened. Since leaving, they have opened up a new student center and are working on a new library. |
| Social Life | 8 | I believe the spirit at Winthrop is awesome, especially for a school that doesn't have a football team. Our basketball games were always crowded and filled with fans! |
| Placement Services | 5 | After graduating, I really was not given any help finding a job. The teacher I was closest with at Winthrop did aid me by emailing me job opportunities and speaking with me a few times over the phone before interviews. |
| Alumni Network | 7 | I've been contacted a few times by the alumni association since graduating from Winthrop 2 years ago. They put most of their efforts into homecoming each year. |
Presbyterian College • Clinton, SC
Studying History (completion in 2007)
• 3/14/2012
"It is a part of my family's legacy to go to this school, and I loved being a part of that. I loved walking through campus and seeing familiar faces every day. There was never a dull moment. The campus is not in a city, so the school did a great job of bringing events to us. The academics are RIGOROUS, but once you get into the real world, you will feel very prepared in your field. I am miles ahead of other history teachers at my school in terms of reviewing for lessons. I feel like I maintain my grasp on everything I learned while working towards my bachelor's."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | It is a small school, meaning you will get a significant amount of individualized attention. The state itself is perfect for learning about history and utilizing the skills you acquire. PC is known in its area as an "Ivy League of the South," and this will get you far when applying for jobs. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | The school is known for its history program. A lot of money is put into its successes, from the books we use to the professors they hire. |
| Instruction | 7 | I never graduated with a degree in teaching from any institution; however, I spent a semester in my college's school of education. I have also worked as a naturalist, which gave me experience working with kids. Being a tour guide also helped, as commanding attention through storytelling is an important aspect of that job. The most difficult thing to master was definitely lesson planning. |
| How Difficult | 7 | It was a rigorous program, but I loved the content. This made it easier for me to succeed. Studying was not a chore. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | History, in general, tends to be book oriented. Since we live in SC, however, there was a lot of history around us that we could turn into hands-on learning possibilities. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | They don't offer as many options as a large school would, but they are flexible with the needs of the students. If enough students needed a summer course, they would open one up. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | History is a big deal at PC. They have a lot of resources for the major, as well as a beautiful building dedicated to the program. |
| Social Life | 10 | I was a member of everything I could be at school, and I loved it. Even though I am a traveler, I opted to not go abroad, because I was so happy where I was. I can honestly say it was the best 4 years of my life! |
| Placement Services | 10 | Since it is a small school, connections are constantly made. This makes job prospects plentiful upon graduation. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | My grandfather, father, brother and sister all went to PC. They love us there. It is a small school and everyone knows everyone, regardless if you are a past or present student. |
Winthrop University • Rock Hill, SC
Studying Special Education (completion in 2011)
• 3/15/2012
"I am gainfully employed and have useful knowledge about my field. Winthrop prepared me the best they could for my field."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | Winthrop is the best at what it does. There aren't as many jobs in the education field as there used to be, and going to Winthrop would help an individual have an advantage over students from other universities, since Winthrop markets teacher candidates so well. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | Winthrop has the best reputation for preparing teachers in the state. In addition, every member of my cohort got a job either before graduation or quickly after. |
| Program Quality | 9 | Winthrop did a wonderful job preparing me for the 'real world' of teaching. I do wish, however, that we had some coursework in how to effectively collaborate with general ed teachers from the beginning of the year. |
| Instruction | 10 | Winthrop is widely known as the best teaching college in the state. I learned so much at Winthrop. I feel much more prepared than graduates from other universities. |
| How Difficult | 10 | Being a special ed major, we had to learn the whole gamut of disabilities and legislature that deals with our positions and students. Although the coursework was challenging, it was nothing compared to the challenge of actually being a teacher and responsible for my own classroom and caseload. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The education department did well with providing projects/hands-on learning. The rest of the university did not do so much; it was mostly lectures/books. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | Because my program was so small, I often could not pick sections of courses, due to there only being one section available. A lot of my classes were one night a week, from 5:00 to 7:45. There were summer classes offered, but they did not seem to ever be useful towards my degree. There were no online options when I was attending Winthrop. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | The College of Education has an organization, Student Academic Services, which assists education majors with almost anything. The professors are astounding as well, especially in the special ed department. |
| Social Life | 7 | My school is a big basketball school, so there was plenty of school spirit. There was also a multitude of extracurricular activities for all types of students. |
| Placement Services | 10 | Winthrop's College of Education does an amazing job of marketing its undergrads. The professors passed along job opportunities to students, and there is an extremely large teacher career fair every spring semester to help seniors find positions. |
| Alumni Network | I have not had any experience with the alumni network, so I am unable to accurately rate it. |
USC Upstate • Spartanburg, SC
Studying Secondary English Education (completion in 2011)
• 3/11/2012
"I was very satisfied with USC Upstate. My academic, social and athletic experiences were all excellent!"
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The school is perfect, because it is not too large or too small. The location is also great; near beautiful mountains, yet near a small city. There is a bigger city about 20 miles away and there are branches of the school all over SC. |
| Program Reputation | 10 | It is one of the biggest departments and has a great reputation. Nursing is another big one at USC Upstate. We had our own building together. |
| Program Quality | 10 | The school provided excellent tools to produce great teachers. The tools provided, plus the student's passion, can only lead to success. |
| Instruction | 8 | The preparation was great, but mostly because I made it great. They can still improve, so that it is great for all. |
| How Difficult | 6 | Could have been a lot harder overall. There were some things that were difficult, though; for example, writing lesson plans in the third year, having never learned how. The workload could have been planned out a little better for all to be able to grasp. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | I rarely used books. Professors would often give examples in class and make us act things out until we eventually were out in the schools, learning firsthand. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | Many classes were only offered once a semester and only at a certain time. You had to schedule around your classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | They did provide many great resources, such as computer labs and books, but we had to share most with nursing students. Classroom space was great and advisors were always there to help. |
| Social Life | 9 | I was on the track and field team and also went to many social gatherings. This not only made USC Upstate a whole lot more fun, but it encouraged me to want to do better in the education program. |
| Placement Services | 7 | They provide opportunities, but they could provide more. I got mine through them, but many aren't as lucky. |
| Alumni Network | 10 | Emails are sent and letters are written; they reach out to us a whole lot. Alumni are treated how I feel they should be. |
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