A public R1 SEC flagship in Columbia, SC, admitting 60.15% of applicants with an 11-time nationally ranked international business program, SEC Gamecock athletics, and connections to South Carolina's growing advanced manufacturing economy.
Columbia, South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public R1 research university in Columbia, South Carolina, founded in 1801 as South Carolina College and the flagship institution of the University of South Carolina System. It enrolls approximately 29,820 undergraduates and 8,345 graduate students across sixteen colleges and schools, including the Darla Moore School of Business, the College of Engineering and Computing, the School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the Arnold School of Public Health, the School of Law, and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Business, social sciences, health sciences, engineering, and communications account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. The University of South Carolina is accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). The University of South Carolina is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. USC's Darla Moore School of Business international business program has been ranked first in the United States for eleven consecutive years.
Official website: sc.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), the University of South Carolina scores 74.45 overall, rated Good. Outcomes (88.67) reflects a 78.82% six-year graduation rate and 91.51% first-year retention, both above the peer average. Value scores 51.57, reflecting an average net price of $22,811 relative to ten-year earnings of $62,177. Selectivity scores 78.09, reflecting a 60.15% admit rate. All scores use verified federal data only.
The University of South Carolina admits 60.15% of applicants. The University of South Carolina is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. USC uses its own application portal. The priority deadline for merit scholarship consideration is December 1; the regular decision deadline is March 15. South Carolina residents make up the largest share of undergraduates; USC draws significantly from the Southeast. The Honors College at USC is selective and has a separate application process with scholarship and housing benefits.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether University of South Carolina-Columbia is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
The University of South Carolina charges $12,688 in in-state tuition and $35,972 in out-of-state tuition, plus $13,534 in room and board, bringing the estimated in-state total cost of attendance to approximately $32,600 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $22,811. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $12,634.
For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $14,953. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $24,478. The endowment stands at approximately $718 million. The federal loan rate of 41.12% and median debt of $21,500 are among the higher rates in this peer group, reflecting relatively limited need-based aid for students from moderate-income families.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $65 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
The University of South Carolina graduates a strong majority of students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 78.82% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. First-year retention stands at 91.51%. The federal loan rate of 41.12% is among the higher rates in this peer group for an SEC flagship, reflecting South Carolina's limited need-based financial aid system relative to states like Florida or Georgia, and the moderate-to-higher net price for families across income brackets.
University of South Carolina graduates enter careers in business, law, healthcare, engineering, and government across South Carolina and the Southeast. Median earnings are $50,621 six years after first enrolling and $62,177 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 84.85% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. Columbia is South Carolina's state capital and largest city, with a government, healthcare, and financial services economy.
The Darla Moore School of Business, the state's leading business school, places graduates in consulting, finance, and management with a distinctive international business specialization. South Carolina has attracted significant investment from BMW (Spartanburg), Volvo, and Michelin manufacturing operations, creating engineering and operations management opportunities accessible to USC graduates.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
The University of South Carolina enrolls approximately 29,820 undergraduates on its main campus in Columbia, South Carolina, a city of approximately 140,000 and the state capital on the Congaree River. White students account for 72.31% of undergraduates; Black 9.74%, Hispanic 6.77%, and Asian 4.32%. Approximately 19.11% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 19.53% are first-generation college students, both below the peer average for a flagship.
Columbia is a mid-size Southern city with a college-town character shaped by USC and Fort Jackson (one of the largest US Army training bases). SEC football is central to campus culture; Williams-Brice Stadium holds 80,000 and SEC game days define fall semester at USC. The South Carolina coast, including Hilton Head Island and Myrtle Beach, is within driving distance.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at University of South Carolina-Columbia. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
University of South Carolina-Columbia offers an extensive catalog of programs: 210 distinct programs across 26 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
The University of South Carolina operates at a student-to-faculty ratio consistent with large public research universities. 75.09% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $14,139 per year. The endowment stands at approximately $718 million. The Darla Moore School of Business is internationally recognized for its international business program (ranked #1 in the US for eleven consecutive years) and its executive education and MBA programs. The Arnold School of Public Health is the flagship health policy and epidemiology program in the state.
1,753 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 520 | 30% | $149,202 |
| Associate Professors | 504 | 29% | $107,854 |
| Assistant Professors | 418 | 24% | $93,509 |
| Instructors | 276 | 16% | $63,698 |
| Lecturers | 35 | 2% | $94,867 |
The University of South Carolina's defining strengths are its UCD 74.45 Good score, 78.82% six-year graduation rate, 91.51% first-year retention, the Darla Moore School of Business (top-ranked international business nationally), and Columbia's accessible state capital economy with access to South Carolina's advanced manufacturing sector. UCD 74.45 Good.
The considerations: the average net price of $22,811 is among the higher rates for a public flagship; the 41.12% federal loan rate is among the highest in this peer group; the value score of 51.57 reflects limited need-based aid relative to the overall cost; and out-of-state tuition at $35,972 significantly changes the calculation for non-South Carolina residents. Best fit for South Carolina residents who want an SEC flagship experience with a nationally recognized business school and connections to South Carolina's government, manufacturing, and healthcare economy.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about USC Columbia: how the Moore School international business ranking works, what Columbia is like as a college city, how the financial aid compares to peer SEC schools, and what SEC Gamecock football means for campus life.
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