Population

In rank among states in population, South Carolina is 26th, according to the 2000 census. The population density in 2000 was 133.2 persons per square mile (51.4 per km 2 ). Whites made up 67.2 per cent of the population and blacks, 29.5 per cent.

More than half of South Carolina's people lived on or near the Piedmont, with the greatest concentrations in the Columbia and Greenville areas. The only other large concentration centered on the coastal city of Charleston.

For several decades South Carolinians have been moving from small towns and farms to urban centers, both within and outside the state. The rural population, however, exceeded the urban population until the 1980 census.

A state superintendent of education, elected for a four-year term, heads the public school system. The state board of education is appointed by the state legislature; members serve four-year terms. School attendance is compulsory for children from 7 to 17 years of age.

While South Carolina was still a British colony, the provincial assembly created several free schools for children whose parents could not afford to pay tuition. Other children were educated at home or at private academies. However, many children, especially those in outlying areas, received little or no schooling. In 1811 the General Assembly established a statewide system of public schools, but for white children only. As a result, slaves received little formal education, although religious organizations sometimes operated schools for blacks.

In 1876 separate public schools were established for blacks. The state's first compulsory attendance law, enacted in 1915, was repealed in 1955 after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered South Carolina to integrate its public schools. Another school-attendance law was enacted in 1967, but integration proceeded slowly.

The largest institution of higher learning is the University of South Carolina. It was chartered in 1801 as South Carolina College and opened in 1805. It was reorganized as a university in 1850. Its main campus is in Columbia.