University of South Carolina-Columbia

www.sc.edu/

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2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$12,288

0% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$21,784

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

3.18%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

68.4%

34,957 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

35,470

89.7% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

77.8%

3,843 Graduates

About

University of South Carolina-Columbia is a higher education institution located in Richland County, SC. In 2020, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at University of South Carolina-Columbia were General Finance (536 degrees awarded), Other Public Health (399 degrees), and General Marketing & Marketing Management (374 degrees).

In 2020, 9,815 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of South Carolina-Columbia. 57.3% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 42.7% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (7,307 degrees), 9.19 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (795 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia is $12,288, which is $−16,275 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

Photo by William Yeung

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia is $12,288, which is $−16,275 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $21,784.

In 2020, 82% of undergraduate students attending University of South Carolina-Columbia received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 44% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$12,288

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia was $12,288. The cost of tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia is $−16,275 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

This chart compares the tuition costs of University of South Carolina-Columbia (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$21,784

2020 Value

0.0138%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 University of South Carolina-Columbia had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $21,784. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of University of South Carolina-Columbia grew by 0.0138%.

This chart compares the average net price of University of South Carolina-Columbia (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$10,955

Room and Board

$1,085

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of South Carolina-Columbia was of $10,955 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,085. The cost of room and board increased by 2.41% between 2019 and 2020. The cost of books and supplies increased by 1.88% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at University of South Carolina-Columbia (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

82%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

44%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

82% of undergraduate students at University of South Carolina-Columbia received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 12.3% with respect to 2019, when 73% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at University of South Carolina-Columbia (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

3.18%

2018 Default Rate

202

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at University of South Carolina-Columbia was 3.18%, which represents 202 out of the 6362 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

University of South Carolina-Columbia received 34,957 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 11.8% annual growth. Out of those 34,957 applicants, 23,894 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 68.4% acceptance rate.

There were 35,470 students enrolled at University of South Carolina-Columbia in 2020, and 61% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of South Carolina-Columbia has an overall enrollment yield of 24%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

68.4%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

23,894

Accepted Out of 34,957

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of South Carolina-Columbia was 68.4% (23,894 admissions from 34,957 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 68.6%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants grew by 11.8%, while admissions grew by 11.3%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of University of South Carolina-Columbia (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

61%

Submission Percentage

3,522

Scores Submitted

61% of enrolled first-time students at University of South Carolina-Columbia in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

University of South Carolina-Columbia has a total enrollment of 35,470 students. The full-time enrollment at University of South Carolina-Columbia is 31,804 students and the part-time enrollment is 3,666. This means that 89.7% of students enrolled at University of South Carolina-Columbia are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at University of South Carolina-Columbia, both undergraduate and graduate, is 72.1% White, 9.55% Black or African American, 4.91% Hispanic or Latino, 3.89% Two or More Races, 3.61% Asian, 0.192% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0733% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at University of South Carolina-Columbia in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (40.4%), followed by White Male (34.3%) and Black or African American Female (5%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (36.6%), followed by White Male (26.3%) and Black or African American Female (6.77%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

89.7%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of South Carolina-Columbia, both undergraduate and graduate, is 35,470 students. The full-time enrollment at University of South Carolina-Columbia is 31,804 and the part-time enrollment is 3,666. This means that 89.7% of students enrolled at University of South Carolina-Columbia are enrolled full-time compared with 76.5% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at University of South Carolina-Columbia (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

90%

2020 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at University of South Carolina-Columbia was 90%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (85%), University of South Carolina-Columbia had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at University of South Carolina-Columbia (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
25,560
Black or African American
3,389
Hispanic or Latino
1,742

The enrolled student population at University of South Carolina-Columbia is 72.1% White, 9.55% Black or African American, 4.91% Hispanic or Latino, 3.89% Two or More Races, 3.61% Asian, 0.192% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0733% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 50% White, 15% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.69% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 406 students (1.14%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 1429 more women than men received degrees from University of South Carolina-Columbia. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at University of South Carolina-Columbia is white (7,307 degrees awarded). There were 9.19 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (795 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of South Carolina-Columbia is General Finance (536 degrees awarded), followed by Other Public Health (399 degrees) and General Marketing & Marketing Management (374 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at University of South Carolina-Columbia, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Library Science (120 degrees awarded), Biology (700 degrees), and Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (282 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Accountants & auditors

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia are Accountants & auditors (1,054,069 people), Other managers (787,469 people), Financial managers (466,431 people), Physicians (399,505 people), and Chief executives & legislators (389,336 people).

The most specialized majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia are Library Science (120 degrees awarded), Biology (700 degrees), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (282 degrees), Communications (458 degrees), and Business (2,895 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia are Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Surgeons, Physicians, Nurse anesthetists, and Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

Common Industries by Major

General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (786,201 people), Elementary & secondary schools (743,451 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (653,946 people), Computer Systems Design (527,775 people), and Banking & related activities (508,056 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Most Common

General Finance
536 degree-majorss awarded
Other Public Health
399 degree-majorss awarded
General Marketing & Marketing Management
374 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of South Carolina-Columbia was General Finance with 536 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at University of South Carolina-Columbia according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

4,193

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

5,622

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 4,193 degrees were awarded to men at University of South Carolina-Columbia, which is 0.746 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (5,622).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 379 degrees were awarded to men at University of South Carolina-Columbia in General Finance, which is 2.41 times more than the 157 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 320 degrees were awarded to women at University of South Carolina-Columbia in Other Public Health, which is 4.05 times more than the 79 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

62%

100% Completion Time

76%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 62% of students graduating from University of South Carolina-Columbia completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 76% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 77% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Asian Male

Highest Graduation Rate (84.4%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at University of South Carolina-Columbia is Male and Asian (84.4% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0.781% of graduates (30 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
7,307 degrees awarded
Black or African American
795 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
424 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of South Carolina-Columbia is white (7,307 degrees awarded). There were 9.19 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (795 degrees).

1.08% of degree recipients (106 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Female
4,141 degrees awarded
White Male
3,166 degrees awarded
Black or African American Female
541 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of South Carolina-Columbia is white female (4,141 degrees awarded). There were 1.31 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (3,166 degrees).

Operations

University of South Carolina-Columbia has an endowment valued at nearly $610M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $25.3M (4.15%), compared to the 3.43% average return ($10.5M on $307M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, University of South Carolina-Columbia had a total salary expenditure of $1.22B. University of South Carolina-Columbia employs 452 Associate professors, 436 Professors, and 349 Assistant professors. Most academics at University of South Carolina-Columbia are Male Professors (302), Male Associate professors(234), and Female Associate professors (218).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of South Carolina-Columbia are: Management, with 966 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 807 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 504 employees.

Endowment

$610M

2020 Endowment

0.00209%

growth from 2019

University of South Carolina-Columbia has an endowment valued at about $610M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of University of South Carolina-Columbia grew 0.00209% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $304M higher than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at University of South Carolina-Columbia (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$143M - Federal
$91M - State
$627k - Local

As of 2020, University of South Carolina-Columbia received $143M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $91M from state grants and contracts, and $627k from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$529M

2020 Salaries

2.11%

growth from 2019

In 2020, University of South Carolina-Columbia paid a median of $529M in salaries, which represents 43.4% of their overall expenditure ($1.22B) and a 2.11% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 0.365% decline from 2018 and a 2.32% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (42.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$153M

Instructional Salaries

1,476

Number of Employees

In 2020, University of South Carolina-Columbia paid a total of $153M to 1,476 employees working as instructors, which represents 28.9% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $70.3M (29.6%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Associate professor

Most Common Instructor

452 Employees

Management

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

966 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at University of South Carolina-Columbia were Associate professor with 452 employees; Professor with 436 employees; and Professor with 349 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of South Carolina-Columbia were Management with 966 employees; Office and Administrative Support with 807 employees; and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 504 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Associate professor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at University of South Carolina-Columbia was Male Professor with 302 employees, Male Associate professor with 234 employees, and Female Associate professor with 218 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at University of South Carolina-Columbia.