The Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE)

We strongly recommend that our international students make their final destination the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE). The Columbia Metropolitan Airport is a short 15-20 minute car ride from the University of South Carolina's campus. The airport is small, but very convenient. Though the Columbia Metropolitan Airport is not an international airport, many international airports offer connecting flights to Columbia.

Other Airports in the Southeast

There are some other airports in the Southeastern United States that you may also choose for your arrival. The Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is approximately 1.5 hours from Columbia, SC. It is located in Charlotte, NC. International Student and Scholar Support does not offer any services or options to pick you up from the Charlotte Airport if you choose this option. However, there is a Columbia-Charlotte Shuttle that many students use to travel between Columbia and the Charlotte Airport.

Some of our students choose to use the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. This is a large international airport located in Atlanta, Georgia. It is approximately 3.5 hours from Columbia. If you have a friend or family member who lives in Georgia, this may be a good option for you, but generally, this is too far from Columbia for most of our students. Taxis are too expensive to take you from Atlanta to Columbia, so it is better to use a different airport instead. International Student and Scholar Support does not offer any services or options to pick you up from the Atlanta Airport if you choose this option.

Airport Pick-Up & Hotels

See the airport pickup section of the ISS website for more details. See the hotel section for information on where to stay.