Coker College is a small private college 25 miles northwest of Florence in Hartsville, South Carolina. The campus itself is only 15 acres and is in a rural, town-like area. Hartsville contains a number of small restaurants and eateries, as well as the Jacob Kelly House Museum, the Florence Civil War Stockade, Kalmia Gardens and various other parks, and Pool Time, a theme park. Formerly only for women, Coker College is now co-ed and has just over 1,000 students who are primarily South Carolina residents. The average SAT score for admission is approximately a 500 on each section. Coker College offers 29 majors and 23 minors, and the most popular areas of study are performing arts and business and management. Coker College does not offer a master's degree program. Class sizes are generally no bigger than 12 students, and most implement a "Round Table Learning" approach. Coker College has 12 athletic programs, which include basketball and baseball. Since Coker College was once all female, there is still no football team.
Francis Marion University is just 7 miles east of Florence, South Carolina. It is a public institution with about 4,000 students. The campus is rural, though near an urban area, and it is on approximately 400 acres. The school is near Florence Regional Airport, and the town has many museums, a movie theater and a restaurant called the Drive-In. Annual events include the Southern Plant and Flower Festival and the Art Sculpture Welding Rodeo. The average SAT score for admission is 480 on each section. FMU has more than 40 areas of study; the most popular are biology, business and sociology. FMU has both bachelor's and master's degree programs. There are generally around 21 students per class. Francis Marion University offers 10 varsity programs and two other varsity teams, which are Division I independents (women's soccer and men's golf). Many of the university's academic buildings and residence halls are newly constructed. FMU also offers active Greek life.
Florence--Darlington Technical College is a a two-year, community college located a few miles northwest of Florence, South Carolina. There are approximately 4,000 students enrolled. The campus is on 246 acres and is still expanding. Class sizes are small, and the student population is approximately two-thirds female. You can get a certificate, diploma, or associate's degree from FDTC in a variety of areas of study. The most popular include health professions and clinical sciences, business, and mechanics/repair technologies. SAT and ACT scores are not required for admission, though they are recommended for transfer students. There are 18 organizations on campus, which include academic and volunteer programs, one honor society and one fraternity and one sorority. FDTC offers only two varsity sports -- men's baseball and women's softball.
Coastal Carolina University is located in Conway, South Carolina, about 60 miles southeast of Florence. Coastal Carolina University is located on just over 300 acres, and there are slightly more than 7,500 students enrolled. The average SAT score is around 530 on each section. Coastal Carolina University offers over 35 majors and over 30 minors, and the most popular areas of study are the sciences, fine arts and business. The school has both bachelor's and master's programs, and the average class size is 25 people. Coastal Carolina University participates in the NCAA Division I Big South Conference, with 17 teams.