Liberal arts colleges provide students with a well-rounded education, combining studies in humanities, arts, social sciences and natural sciences. While undergraduates focus on a chosen major, most liberal arts curricula require students to take classes in a variety of disciplines. Rather than training for a specific career, these programs seek to develop creative and critical thinking skills that students can apply to many different careers.
Of the 50 liberal arts colleges listed on the CHE's website, some define their programs as "Interdisciplinary studies," "Humanities" or "General studies," but these terms describe the same types of programs as those colleges that define their programs as "Liberal Arts & Sciences." For example, the CHE describes Benedict College's (Columbia, S.C.) program as "General Studies"; their School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences offers courses in visual arts, criminal justice, languages, psychology and communications. Morris College, in Sumter, S.C., which the CHE's website describes as "Liberal Arts & Sciences," also offers a variety of liberal arts courses and majors in history, psychology, art, literature and science. Other schools with liberal arts programs include the University of South Carolina, Spartanburg Community College, Columbia International University and various technical colleges, including Tri-County Tech. Look for all terms listed above when searching for liberal arts colleges.
To start a search of liberal arts colleges in South Carolina, use a college search engine such as Peterson's. Use Boolean search operators ("and," "or," "not"); for example, search for "Liberal Arts and South Carolina" in order to find specifically liberal arts schools in South Carolina. Peterson's gives overviews of each college listed in the search return, including the school's history, academic programs and extracurricular activities such as sports and student organizations. It also provides links to each college's home page, where you can access further information about the school's academic programs and admissions requirements.
Another search engine for finding Liberal Arts colleges in South Carolina is U.S. Colleges Search. Search by program type (e.g., liberal arts) and by state or zip code. When searching on this website, scroll down to the bottom of the page to view search results, as the first three quarters of the page offer links to online college programs.
Once you narrow down the schools you are interested in and begin the application process, start thinking about how to fund your education. The CHE's website provides information on scholarships and grants, including funding specifically for South Carolina residents and for those attending colleges in South Carolina. Also look for financial assistance information on the websites of the schools you are applying to, as they can provide the most direct access to applicable funding.