Brittany Young, 22, of Moncks Corner, said the high percentage of South Carolina students made a difference in her decision to attend the Florence school.

"It makes it easier to make friends and connections because we are all so much alike."

But at the same time, she said, it has not made the campus insular.

"We have enough out-of-state students to keep things interesting."

Young played basketball at Francis Marion, and hopes to pursue a professional basketball career. Her backup plan is to work for a year, then apply for law school.

More than 93 percent of the new Francis Marion graduates -- down slightly from 96 percent last year but still up from 90 percent in 2003-- are from South Carolina. Some 95 percent of its student body are from the state.

Today's commencement at Francis Marion is one of about 10 statewide at private and public campuses, including Newberry, Morris and Coker Colleges; Bob Jones, Charleston Southern, Anderson and Columbia International universities; and The Citadel, the state's military college.

But few four-year colleges in the state can boast of such a focus on educating South Carolina students as a percentage of its total enrollment.

The other extreme at state colleges is Coastal Carolina University, with 58 percent out-of-state students, and The Citadel, with 55 percent of its cadets from outside South Carolina.

Francis Marion president Fred Carter said the university has always had a symbiotic relationship with its region.

"This university was created in 1970 because the citizens of the Pee Dee rose up and said 'we demand to have a state university of our own,'" Carter said. "It's best reflected in the fact that in seven years, we've raised $45.5 million. Most of that has come from the Pee Dee region. It's reflected in the way they've responded to our capital needs."

And Francis Marion has kept its cost much lower than most state-assisted colleges. The extremes at state colleges are annual tuition of $10,210 at Winthrop University, to $6,250 at USC-Beaufort, $7,006 at USC-Aiken, and $7,038 at Francis Marion.

"We'll always be among the lowest tuitions in South Carolina," Carter said. "When our tuition gets too high, we don't just drive students to other institutions. Those students drop out of the higher education race. They simply would no longer be able to compete financially."

Forty percent of Francis Marion students are first-generation college attendees, a group who often come from families living on the financial margins.

"Everyone here the trustees, administration and faculty is keenly aware of that dynamic, and we're very, very proud of our role in the state," Carter said.