2026 Best Historic Preservation Schools in South Carolina

Historic Preservation degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their historic preservation programs.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for historic preservation students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Historic Preservation Schools in South Carolina

Best Schools for Historic Preservation in South Carolina

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the historic preservation degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Historic Preservation

1

Clemson University
Clemson, SC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

24 Historic Preservation Degrees Awarded

$53,834 Median Starting Salary

No school ranked higher than Clemson University this year for historic preservation. Set in the suburb of Clemson, Clemson University is a very large public institution. Roughly 87% of students complete a degree within six years here. Clemson University awarded about 24 historic preservation degrees in the most recent data year. Historic Preservation graduates of Clemson University earn a median of $53,834 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $23,783 to complete this degree. Read more about the historic preservation program at Clemson University

2

College Of Charleston
Charleston, SC

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

26 Historic Preservation Degrees Awarded

$35,326 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes College Of Charleston one of the top schools for historic preservation. College Of Charleston is a large public school located in the city of Charleston. About 66% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 26 historic preservation students who graduated with this degree at College Of Charleston in the most recent data year. Students who receive their historic preservation degree from College Of Charleston earn around $35,326 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $22,375. See the full historic preservation program report for College Of Charleston

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 3 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.