Do Arkansas Residents Get In-State Tuition in South Carolina? (Undergraduate, 2026)
ACM — in-state rate
Sometimes — Arkansas and South Carolina both belong to Academic Common Market, which can bring undergraduate tuition at University of South Carolina down to the in-state rate of about $13,700 from $36,300, but only for approved majors. It is not automatic in-state status.
- You would pay
- $13,700/yr
- Resident pays
- $13,700/yr
- Non-resident rate
- $36,300/yr
- Saved over 4 yrs
- $90,400
Conditional: Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
Tuition and mandatory fees only, compiled from published rates and rounded. Excludes housing, books and course differentials. Eligibility is decided by the institution, not by this page.
Open this pair in the checker to switch level, compare other states, or copy a link to the result.
Arkansas and South Carolina both belong to Academic Common Market, and that program is the most generous of the four regional agreements: an approved student pays the receiving institution's full in-state rate. At University of South Carolina that is $13,700 against a $36,300 non-resident rate.
Seen from Arkansas, this is one option among 50. 12 other states offer Arkansas residents a reduced undergraduate rate, the lowest being Mississippi at about $9,900, against $10,300 for in-state study at University of Arkansas.
Confirm the specific campus takes part. State-level membership is necessary and not sufficient, and several flagship universities either exclude their most competitive majors or sit out entirely.
Every route from Arkansas to South Carolina
| Route | What it gives you | Per year | Saving | Guaranteed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic Common Market | An approved ACM student pays the receiving institution's full in-state tuition rate. The gate is availability at home: the program must appear on SREB's approved inventory for your state, which in practice means your own state's public universities do not offer that specific degree. You are certified as ACM-eligible by your home state's ACM coordinator before the receiving institution will apply the rate. | $13,700 | $22,600 | Conditional |
Where Arkansas residents pay less
Staying home, an Arkansas resident pays $10,300 a year for in-state undergraduate tuition at University of Arkansas. The cheapest South Carolina option for you is $13,700 at University of South Carolina, which is $3,400 a year more than staying home, or $13,600 over 4 years.
Arkansas belongs to Academic Common Market (ACM) at undergraduate level, so 13 of 50 states offer Arkansas undergraduate students a reduced rate, and South Carolina is one of them.
| State | Route | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Arkansas to Mississippi | Academic Common Market · University of Mississippi | $9,900 |
| Arkansas to West Virginia | Academic Common Market · West Virginia University | $9,900 |
| Arkansas to Texas | Texas Border-County Tuition Waiver · The University of Texas at Austin | $11,700 |
| Arkansas to Maryland | Academic Common Market · University of Maryland, College Park | $11,900 |
| Arkansas to Louisiana | Academic Common Market · Louisiana State University | $12,000 |
Arkansas's neighboring states, compared
What an Arkansas resident pays for undergraduate tuition in each state that borders Arkansas, cheapest first:
- Mississippi$9,900/yr · Academic Common Market
- Texas$11,700/yr · Texas Border-County Tuition Waiver
- Louisiana$12,000/yr · Academic Common Market
- Oklahoma$12,000/yr · Academic Common Market
- Tennessee$14,100/yr · Academic Common Market
- Missouri$31,600/yr · non-resident
Compare all 50 states from Arkansas in the checker. Each figure is one reference campus per state, not a state average.
South Carolina residency, in brief
South Carolina grants in-state tuition after 12 months of domicile before the term begins (S.C. Code Ann. § 59-112-20), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile. Moving to South Carolina to enroll does not by itself start the clock.
South Carolina residency requirements in full · how long every state requires
Step by step
- Check that your chosen South Carolina campus participates in Academic Common Market — membership is a state-level agreement, but each campus decides whether to offer it and how many awards to fund.
- Confirm your intended major is on the approved list. Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
- Apply for the award at the same time as admission, and well before the campus deadline — most participating institutions award on a first-come basis and close early.
- Keep your Arkansas residency documentation current; the program is only open to residents of a member state.
- Compare the result against the residency route: South Carolina grants in-state status after 12 months of domicile, currently $13,700 a year.
Official links
Related
Asked and answered
›Do Arkansas residents get in-state tuition in South Carolina?
Effectively yes, through Academic Common Market, but it is not residency. You pay the in-state rate of about $13,700 while remaining an Arkansas resident for every other purpose, and the benefit ends if you leave the approved program.
›How long does it take to get in-state tuition in South Carolina?
South Carolina requires 12 months of domicile before the term begins (S.C. Code Ann. § 59-112-20), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile.
›How much would undergraduate study in South Carolina actually cost an Arkansas resident?
About $13,700 a year in tuition and mandatory fees under Academic Common Market, against $36,300 at the published non-resident rate and $13,700 for a South Carolina resident. Over 4 years that is roughly $90,400 saved. Figures are compiled 2025–26 published rates and exclude housing, books and course-specific differentials.
›Where can Arkansas residents get reduced undergraduate tuition?
In 13 states at undergraduate level. Outside South Carolina, the lowest are Mississippi ($9,900), West Virginia ($9,900), Texas ($11,700). Each figure is one reference campus, and awards are made campus by campus.
›Is studying in South Carolina cheaper than staying in Arkansas?
No. Arkansas's in-state undergraduate rate is $10,300 a year at University of Arkansas, and the cheapest South Carolina option for an Arkansas resident is $13,700, so South Carolina costs about $3,400 more a year, or $13,600 over 4 years, in tuition and fees alone.
Sources
Every eligibility rule on this page is checked against the operating compact commission or the state's own residency authority. Last verified 2026-08-07.
Tuition figures on this page are compiled 2025–26 published rates (basis: published compiled), rounded to the nearest $100 and refreshed each June. Eligibility rules are checked against the cited compact commission or residency authority.
- South Carolina Commission on Higher Education — residency for tuition purposes ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- University of South Carolina — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- University of Arkansas — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
How this page was made
Compiled and checked by Billy Reiner, editor of In-State Check. Last verified 2026-08-07.
- Compiled from published rate pages
- The in-state and non-resident figures are tuition and mandatory fees for one full-time year, read from University of South Carolina’s own 2025–26 rate page and rounded to the nearest $100. Housing, books, travel and course-specific differentials are not included in them.
- Checked against the administering body
- Compact membership at this level was checked against the commission that runs the program (SREB). The residency test — the durational requirement, the domicile evidence and the dependent-student rule — was checked against South Carolina Commission on Higher Education, S.C. Code Ann. § 59-112-20. Nothing here is taken from another comparison site.
Not advice. In-State Check is independent of every college, compact and state agency named here. Residency classification and award decisions are made by the institution you apply to. Found an error? Send the page URL and the source that contradicts it to [email protected], and the page is corrected and re-dated. Full methodology.