The Economic Impact of USC Beaufort

Since its formal beginnings in 1959, USC Beaufort has grown to offer undergraduate and graduate programs of study to about 1,400 students annually. Off-site classes are held at the Parris Island Marine Corps Recruit Depot and at the Marine Corps Air Station. USC Beaufort maintains two full-service campuses--the North Campus in historic Beaufort and the South Campus on Highway 278 in Bluffton. USC Beaufort has expanded its service area to include neighboring counties in Georgia, while new on-campus housing attracts regional, out-of-state, and international students.

USC Beaufort programs and initiatives include:

• the Early Childhood Education At-Risk Family Initiative, located at Penn Center on St. Helena Island, an ongoing program sponsored by USC Beaufort in partnership with USC Columbia, which helps at-risk children and their families.

• the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at USC Beaufort, funded in 2005 by a grant from the Osher Foundation, which is one of more than 50 institutes in a network that creates vibrant lifelong learning communities for adults.

• the Center for Coastal Ecology at Pritchards Island, which provides environmental outreach activities for school and civic groups and offers teacher training through course work and scientific and environmental programs.

• The Center of Excellence in Collaborative Learning, formed to study pre-service and in-service education with an emphasis on collaborative learning.

USC Beaufort
Total Impact on the Lowcountry Region

Economic output
$29.4 million

Income
$12.9 million

Employment impact
457 jobs