University of South Carolina

University of South Carolina Overview

University of South Carolina is a public, state school in the urban setting of Columbia, South Carolina. University of South Carolina was founded in 1801 and the school currently enrolls around 35,471 students a year, including 26,864 undergraduate students. University of South Carolina offers housing for up to 9,001 students. The majority of students live on campus, and first year-students are required to live in campus housing.

📆 Mark your calendar! December 1, 2023 is the final deadline to submit an application for the Fall 2023 semester. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2023 should find out if they have been admitted by March 15.

There are many ways for students to get involved at University of South Carolina!

Interested in music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of the school's theater groups.

Interested in journalism or communications? University of South Carolina students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.

Thinking of pledging? University of South Carolina has both fraternities and sororities.

Planning to play sports? University of South Carolina has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at University of South Carolina on the Student Life page.

Is University of South Carolina a Good School?

There is no one way to define a "good" college or university. Admissions criteria, acceptance rate and average GPA are good indicators of how competitive an institution is.

Let's take a closer look at these areas to get a clearer view of what University of South Carolina offers and if the college could be a good fit for you.

University of South Carolina Acceptance Rate 2022

It is moderately difficult to get into University of South Carolina. Around 62% of applicants get into University of South Carolina each year. Out of 42,045 applications received in 2022, 25,884 students were offered admission.

Retention and Graduation Rates at University of South Carolina

Retention refers to the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. It is a way to measure how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.

Around 87% of students who start at University of South Carolina come back for their second year of college. University of South Carolina's six-year graduation rate for undergrads is 78%. Compare this to the average six-year graduation rate for colleges and universities in the U.S., which is around 61% for public schools and 67% for private.

Job Outcomes for University of South Carolina Grads

Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school. Within six months of graduating, 50% of graduates receive at least one full-time job offer.

The average starting salary for recent University of South Carolina grads is $53,314 a year. Average starting salaries vary by discipline, but the average starting salary for all 2021 graduates was around $60,000 a year.

Tuition and Financial Aid at University of South Carolina

Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need.

University of South Carolina meets 72% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. First-year students that attend University of South Carolina full-time are awarded $10,478 a year in financial aid, on average.

Students in the class of 2022 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $32,833 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.

The 2023-2024 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2022

Some financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA as soon as you can. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.

Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at University of South Carolina.

Based on this information, how does University of South Carolina sound? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for another! So ask yourself: Is University of South Carolina a good school for you?

If University of South Carolina seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.

Still Researching Schools?

Choose one of the options below to learn more about University of South Carolina:

Admissions

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

University of South Carolina Community Forums

Then use the college admissions predictor to take a data science look at your chances of getting into some of the top colleges and universities in the U.S.

Where is University of South Carolina?

University of South Carolina is located in the city of Columbia, South Carolina.

If you are interested in seeing University of South Carolina for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take 126 and 77 to Columbia, or book a flight to the nearest airport, Columbia Metropolitan.

You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what University of South Carolina and Columbia are like without leaving home.

Considering Colleges in South Carolina?

See a full list of colleges in South Carolina and save your favorites to your college list.