University of South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina · Public, a midsize city · 29,820 undergraduates
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Is it hard to get into South Carolina?
The middle half of admitted students scored in these ranges: a quarter scored lower, a quarter higher. Fall 2024 admissions, from the College Scorecard.
Acceptance rate
60.2%
46,682 applied
SAT, middle half
1180 to 1360
Reading plus math, out of 1600
ACT, middle half
26 to 32
Composite, out of 36
Test scores this year
Optional: considered if sent
26% of admitted students enrolled
- What they look at
- High school GPARequired
- Class rankConsidered
- Courses takenConsidered
- College-prep programRequired
- EssayRequired
How much does South Carolina cost?
Sticker prices and what students actually paid after grants, by family income. A year means tuition, fees, room, board, books and other costs.
Tuition and fees, South Carolina residents
$12,688
Tuition and fees, out of state
$37,376
A full year, sticker price
$32,193
Living on campus
Average price after grants
$22,197
Students who got federal aid
What a year cost, by family income
| Family income | Average paid after grants |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $13,832 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $14,286 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $17,357 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $23,410 |
| Over $110,000 | $28,504 |
- Room and board on campus
- $16,376 a year; $14,038 off campus
- Books and supplies
- $1,480 a year
- The school's own grants
- 71% of full-time first-years get one, averaging $2,982
Tuition over the years
Tuition and fees for a year, as reported to the federal government.
How much do South Carolina students borrow?
Federal student loans only, for students who borrowed.
Typical debt at graduation
$20,500
About $233 a month over ten years
Students who borrow
41.1%
Get a Pell Grant
22.9%
Federal grant for lower-income families
Over 25 when they start
2.8%
What do South Carolina graduates earn?
Typical yearly pay of everyone who started here with federal aid, whatever they studied and whether or not they finished.
Six years after starting
$57,672
Ten years after starting
$69,024
Middle half: $45,838 to $101,912
Best-paid program, five years out
$126,122
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration
Lowest-paid program, five years out
$35,455
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Do South Carolina students finish?
Of the students who started full time, first time.
Back for second year
92.2%
Graduate in six years
78.7%
The four-year figure is for a later, smaller group, so it is not shown
After eight years
77% graduated
16% transferred, 0% still enrolled
Who goes to South Carolina?
Women
59.2%
First in their family at college
19.5%
Part-time
2.7%
Students per teacher
19
- Background
- White 72%, Hispanic 7%, Black 10%, Asian 4%, Two or more 4%, International 1%
- Housing
- Campus housing, 9,956 beds
What do South Carolina graduates earn, by program?
Every bachelor's program the school awards, with what its graduates earn and owe. The government hides pay for small programs, so some rows have no figure.
Computer science
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 448 | $69,991 | $88,184 | $23,375 |
| Information Science/Studies | 49 | $57,165 | Hidden | $19,422 |
Engineering
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 57 | Hidden | Hidden | $19,000 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | 72 | $64,409 | $100,014 | $21,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | 96 | $78,869 | $99,059 | $22,250 |
| Civil Engineering | 154 | $71,556 | $90,433 | $20,897 |
| Computer Engineering | 63 | $72,751 | $120,055 | $20,000 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | 79 | $82,466 | $102,324 | $18,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 290 | $73,872 | $94,686 | $23,250 |
Business and commerce
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | 260 | $64,739 | $87,464 | $20,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 498 | $54,865 | $74,626 | $19,500 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 122 | $65,675 | $98,153 | $22,552 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 1,090 | $69,692 | $97,909 | $20,500 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations | 294 | $52,597 | $67,486 | $20,012 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 293 | $46,876 | $62,622 | $20,534 |
| Insurance | 171 | $69,288 | $100,199 | $21,000 |
| International Business | 326 | $72,633 | $125,563 | $23,250 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 405 | $70,904 | $105,188 | $19,500 |
| Marketing | 718 | $59,271 | $84,469 | $20,500 |
| Real Estate | 141 | $63,254 | $97,102 | $20,367 |
Nursing
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 501 | $79,619 | $78,290 | $22,500 |
Health sciences and kinesiology
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | 37 | $78,261 | $71,752 | Hidden |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | 154 | Hidden | $126,122 | Hidden |
| Public Health | 837 | $38,470 | $64,296 | $21,437 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 544 | $51,485 | $74,732 | $20,500 |
Life sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | 129 | $40,191 | $65,455 | $22,000 |
| Biology, General | 767 | $34,180 | $62,683 | $21,500 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | 83 | $30,066 | $55,898 | $22,425 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | 146 | $37,462 | $59,085 | $19,500 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | 25 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 363 | $34,833 | $69,562 | $20,500 |
Math and physical sciences
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chemistry | 68 | $45,207 | $68,622 | $22,135 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | 36 | $45,571 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Mathematics | 83 | Hidden | $75,794 | $19,687 |
| Physics | 14 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Statistics | 41 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Arts and humanities
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 3 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| English Language and Literature, General | 134 | $29,649 | $46,328 | $19,500 |
| Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 2 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| History | 126 | $33,035 | $53,047 | $19,500 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | 10 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Philosophy | 32 | Hidden | $51,465 | Hidden |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 13 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 36 | $25,592 | Hidden | Hidden |
| Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 13 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
Education (teaching)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 290 | $42,994 | $45,778 | $23,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | 32 | $42,832 | $50,486 | $21,500 |
Fine and performing arts
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | 10 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Dance | 28 | Hidden | $51,333 | Hidden |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 19 | Hidden | $35,455 | Hidden |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts | 173 | $26,269 | $42,617 | $21,602 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 111 | $34,626 | $42,872 | $20,000 |
| Music | 98 | $44,297 | $49,854 | $21,000 |
General arts and science (major chosen later)
| Program | Graduates | Pay, one year out | Pay, five years out | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data Analytics | 0 | Hidden | Hidden | Hidden |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 259 | $39,605 | $51,356 | $18,500 |
Compare South Carolina with other universities
Side by side: acceptance rates, scores, costs and pay.
Where these numbers come from
College Scorecard release 10152026, Most Recent Cohorts files, fetched 2026-10-20. Test policy: the school's page (opens in a new tab). Tuition history, housing and the school's own grants: the federal IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) survey.
How every figure in this part of the site is sourced, and the check of every link.
Careerhelp is not affiliated with University of South Carolina. Figures describe past students; check the school's own pages before you apply.
Social sciences