Although graduation data indicate that students in Spartanburg are doing well compared to their peers, the same does not hold true for higher education. Students in Spartanburg and Charleston Counties fell below the state average for percentage entering college, although their peers in Greenville and Richland Counties entered college at rates above the state average.

In 2006-2007, a total of 38,141 S.C. students completed high school. By self-report of those completers during their senior year of high school, 24,997 (65.5%) entered a college freshman class. Of that number, 40.8% entered a 4-year college, 3.6% entered a 2-year college, and 21.1% entered a technical college. Of the colleges chosen, 90.7% were in-state and 9.3% were out-of-state.

Of Spartanburg districts, only students in Districts 6 and 7 entered college at rates above the state average (89.7% and 74.1%, respectively). Further, only students in Districts 6 and 7 entered 4-year colleges at rates above the state average and only students in District 6 entered technical colleges at rates above the state average.

Comparatively, data reported in Table 19 demonstrate that students in Greenville County and Richland Districts 1 and 2 entered college at rates above the state average, and they entered 4-year colleges and technical colleges at rates above the state average as well. Conversely, below average percentages of students in Spartanburg County (all districts combined) and Charleston County entered college, 4-year colleges and technical colleges.