About Benedict College

At a Glance

Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution with over 1,700 students enrolled in its 26 baccalaureate degree programs and 2 masters degree programs. Defying trends, Benedict College maintains a nearly equal male and female student population. This Midlands HBCU welcomes students from all 46 counties in South Carolina, 30 states across America, and 26 countries around the world.

Benedict offers several high-demand fields of study in STEM, Cyber Security, Mass Communication, Sport Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, and Education. The College also has a diverse faculty of which 80 percent are full-time, and 71 percent hold doctorates or the equivalent.

There are over 18,000 proud Benedict Tigers throughout the nation. Benedict College has been a community leader for over 152-years and is a significant contributor to South Carolina and the region. Contributing $130 million and 1,218 jobs in total local and annual economic impact, a Benedict graduate working full-time throughout his or her working life can expect to earn $1.1 million in additional income because of their Benedict College degree.

The College made front-page news in the spring of 2018 when it became the first South Carolina college to lower its tuition by 26 percent. Cutting tuition drew praise from the Commission on Higher Education, South Carolina’s education oversight body. The commissioner noted that the move Benedict College made should be applauded because it offers families affordability and students greater access to higher education.

Benedict College has been highly regarded and exceptionally ranked for its programs by several academic and traditional publications. For example, Benedict College was ranked as one of the top baccalaureate colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly magazine for creating social mobility, and producing cutting-edge scholarship and research. In 2019, Benedict College received the 2019 ACE/ Fidelity Investments Awards for Institutional Transformation and was named the HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest. Learn more about the HBCU legacy. 

Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and masters degrees. Five of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: The School of Education, Social Work, Environmental Health Science, Arts and Sciences and the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.


Marks of Excellence

Accreditations:

At a Glance

Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution with over 2,100 students enrolled in its 26 baccalaureate degree programs and 2 masters degree program. Defying trends, Benedict College maintains an equal male and female student population. This Midlands HBCU welcomes students from all 46 counties in South Carolina, 30 states across America, and 26 countries around the world.

Benedict offers several high-demand fields of study in STEM, Cyber Security, Mass Communication, Sport Management, Business Administration, Engineering, Computer Science, Biology, and Education. The College also has a diverse faculty of which 80 percent are full-time, and 71 percent hold doctorates or the equivalent.

There are over 18,000 proud Benedict Tigers throughout the nation. Benedict College has been a community leader for over 152-years and is a significant contributor to South Carolina and the region. Contributing $130 million and 1,218 jobs in total local and annual economic impact, a Benedict graduate working full-time throughout his or her working life can expect to earn $1.1 million in additional income because of their Benedict College degree.

The College made front-page news in the spring of 2018 when it became the first South Carolina college to lower its tuition by 26 percent. Cutting tuition drew praise from the Commission on Higher Education, South Carolina’s education oversight body. The commissioner noted that the move Benedict College made should be applauded because it offers families affordability and students greater access to higher education.

Benedict College has been highly regarded and exceptionally ranked for its programs by several academic and traditional publications. For example, Benedict College was ranked as one of the top baccalaureate colleges in the nation by Washington Monthly magazine for creating social mobility, and producing cutting-edge scholarship and research. In 2019, Benedict College received the 2019 ACE/ Fidelity Investments Awards for Institutional Transformation and was named the HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest. Learn more about the HBCU legacy. 

Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and masters degrees. Five of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: The School of Education, Social Work, Environmental Health Science, Arts and Sciences and the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.


Marks of Excellence

Accreditations:


National Rankings:

  • Benedict College was one of the 48 colleges competing in Los Angeles for the 2016 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship. Benedict made it to the Elite Top 8 and as a 2016 Quarter Finalist, Benedict received $10,000.
  • Benedict College was ranked 1 of the top 10 colleges in the nation in producing African Americans with an undergraduate Physics degree, as reported by the Education and Employment Statistic Division of the American Institute of Physics.
  • The Benedict College Debate Team won 1st Place at the National Association of African-Americans Honors Program Conference, October 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
  • In 2015, EdSmart.org ranked Benedict College one of the Top 20 HBCUs based on Alumni starting salaries. The report shows potential students the best Black Colleges based on how much they can expect to earn after graduation.
  • The Benedict College Pioneering Service Learning Program is a national model program and serves over 114 non-profit organizations around the SC Midlands. The program is the winner of the 6th Annual Commission on Higher Education’s Service Learning Competition.
  • The Corporation for National and Community Service honored Benedict College for four consecutive years with a place on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service to America’s communities.

Community Development:

  • The Benedict-Allen Community Development Corporation was established to acquire, rehabilitate, resell or lease sub-standard housing and remove blight from surrounding College neighborhoods.
  • The Business Development Center (BDC) was opened with the goal to educate and produce minority entrepreneurs. The BDC offers a Revolving Loan Fund to new businesses.
  • The Benedict College Business Development Center has partnered with the FDIC to create and implement a Money Smart program that teaches the community and students how to understand credit, personal budgets and assesses the cost and benefits of consumer and home loans.
  • In 2012, the Benedict College’s Trio Program received $3.4 million through 2017

Faculty Population:

Benedict has a very diverse faculty of which 80% are full-time faculty and 20% are part-time faculty with 60% holding a PhD or equivalent. The student to faculty ratio is 19:1.

Top Five States for New Students:

  1. South Carolina
  2. Georgia
  3. North Carolina
  4. New Jersey
  5. District of Columbia

New Student Population:

  • In State – 53 %
  • Out of State – 44%
  • International – 3%
  • District of Columbia – 2.8%

Graduation Highlights:

  • 204 seniors graduated during the Spring 2017 Commencement
  • 115 seniors graduated during the Winter 2016 Commencement
  • Total of 319 seniors graduated from Benedict College in 2016-2017 Academic Year

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