Columbia, SC (population: 130,246) has thirty-eight locksmith schools within a 500-mile radius of its city center. Duquesne University, the highest ranked school in this group with a locksmith program, has a total student population of 10,294. It is the 166th highest ranked school in the USA and the 12th highest in the state of Pennsylvania (#1 is University of Pennsylvania).
Locksmith students from Columbia schools who go on to become locksmiths, certified master locksmiths, road service locksmiths, etc. have a good chance at finding employment. For example, there are 16,910 people working as locksmiths and safe repairers alone in the US, and their average annual salary is $37,550.
Columbia lies in Richland county, which is one of the 27 counties in South Carolina. Overall, the Columbia area has 334,600 total employed workers according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, with a 0.9% unemployment rate, $18.76/hr average worker wage, and a $39,020 average annual salary.
Of the 38 locksmith schools with a 500-mile radius of Columbia, only 12 have a student population over 10k. After taking into account tuition, living expenses, and financial aid, YTI Career Institute comes out as the most expensive ($41,895/yr) for locksmith students, with Chattahoochee Valley Community College as the lowest, reported at only $1,438/yr.
| Name | State | Population | # of Schools | Avg School Rank | Total Programs | Distance from Columbia |
| Denmark | SC | - | 2 | 12.8531 | 54 | 51.7 miles |
| Hartsville | SC | - | 2 | 23.3042 | 83 | 52.1 miles |
| Graniteville | SC | - | 1 | 8.50122 | 49 | 62.2 miles |
| Rock Hill | SC | 72,341 | 5 | 30.0256 | 144 | 62.8 miles |
| North Augusta | SC | - | 1 | 27.4739 | 4 | 72.2 miles |
| Augusta | GA | - | 8 | 15.8236 | 215 | 75.4 miles |
| Martinez | GA | - | 2 | 23.4797 | 14 | 77.2 miles |
| Charlotte | NC | 723,514 | 18 | 27.5295 | 455 | 80.3 miles |
| Belmont | NC | - | 2 | 36.2771 | 82 | 83.6 miles |
| Gastonia | NC | 75,340 | 1 | 28.6194 | 5 | 85.2 miles |
| Spartanburg | SC | 40,665 | 7 | 35.0859 | 216 | 86.0 miles |
| North Charleston | SC | 99,930 | 3 | 24.6487 | 24 | 92.3 miles |
| Laurinburg | NC | - | 1 | 18.8047 | 40 | 96.0 miles |