University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public · Midsize city · Carnegie R1/R2 · USCC
Public institution in Columbia, SC · 28,113 undergraduates · 61% acceptance rate · $62,177 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 3%Undergraduates
- Top 12%Graduation rate (4-year)
- Top 12%Full-time retention
- Top 14%Median ACT
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $24,5321,452nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $12,688813th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $34,9341,434th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $32,8401,032nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,500813th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $62,177464th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $50,621505th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 77.8%249th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 90.7%223rd highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 61.5%430th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1297198th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 29132nd highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 28,11361st largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 18.0:11,713th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 19.0%1,775th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 84 mi (CLT)
On 3 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- EAOct 15
- RDDec 1
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $65
- Personal essay
- Required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 75 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $71,854 | $63,749 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $69,617 | $71,854 |
| Chemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $66,001 | $70,680 |
| International BusinessBusiness | bachelors | $65,916 | $70,776 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $64,629 | $66,670 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBusiness | bachelors | $62,661 | $62,848 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $62,012 | $62,620 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $59,066 | $60,405 |
| Business/Managerial EconomicsBusiness | bachelors | $58,970 | $55,964 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $58,796 | $60,325 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $55,819 | $55,190 |
| InsuranceBusiness | bachelors | $54,855 | $55,964 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1801source
- Athletic nickname: "Gamecocks"source
- Mascot: Cockysource
- Williams-Brice Stadium seats about 80,250source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- Motto: "Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros (Latin)"source
- Campus size: about 359 acressource
- Formerly known as "South Carolina College (1801–1865; 1882–1887; 1890–1905)"source
- Formerly known as "University of South Carolina" (1866–1877)source
- Formerly known as "South Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanics" (1880–1881)source
- Athletic conference: SECsource
- A [[National Sea Grant College Program institutionsource
- A sea-grant]] institutionsource
- Notable alum: Lindsey Grahamsource
- Notable alum: Robert F. Furchgottsource
- Notable alum: Stanley Donensource
- Notable alum: Jasper Johnssource
- Notable alum: Zig Ziglarsource
Athletics — 12 sports
NCAA Division I-FBS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $13,759,918 (M $6,953,077 · W $6,806,841)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Equestrian
- Football
- Golf
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Baseball: 2010
- Basketball: 2024, 2022, 2017
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitesc.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 218663)
- Compare colleges in SCRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in South CarolinaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: University of South Carolina-Columbia vs Clemson UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 12 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.