University of South Carolina-Columbia

www.sc.edu

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2023 Undergraduate Tuition
$12,288
2023 Average Net Price
$26,068
After Financial Aid
2021 Default Rate
0%
on Student Loans
2023 Acceptance Rate
61.5%
46,682 Applicants
2023 Enrolled Students
36,579
89% Full-Time
2023 Graduation Rate
77.7%
4,559 Graduates

About

University of South Carolina-Columbia is a higher education institution located in Richland County, SC. In 2023, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at University of South Carolina-Columbia were General Finance (597 degrees awarded), General Public Health (435 degrees), and Experimental Psychology (405 degrees).

In 2023, 10,467 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at University of South Carolina-Columbia. 57.6% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 42.4% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (7,632 degrees), 8.82 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (865 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia is $12,288, which is $−18,715 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004).

In 2021 the default rate for borrower's at University of South Carolina-Columbia was 0%, corresponding to 0 out of the 6,038 total borrowers.

Photo by William Yeung
Doctoral Universities: Highest Research ActivityDoctoral Universities

Costs

In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia is $12,288, which is $18,716 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $26,068.

In 2023, 79% of undergraduate students attending University of South Carolina-Columbia received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 42% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$12,288
2023 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2023, the cost of tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia was $12,288. The cost of tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia is $−18,716 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004).

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

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Average Net Price

$26,068
2023 Value
16.2%
1 Year Growth

In 2023 University of South Carolina-Columbia had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $26,068. Between 2022 and 2023, the average net price of University of South Carolina-Columbia grew by 16.2%.

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.

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Other Student Expenses

$12,286
Room and Board
$1,312
Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at University of South Carolina-Columbia was of $12,286 in 2023. The cost of room and board increased by 10.5% between 2022 and 2023.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,312. The cost of books and supplies increased by 20.9% during the same period.

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

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Financial Aid by Income Level

79%
Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants
42%
Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

79% of undergraduate students at University of South Carolina-Columbia received financial aid through grants or loans in 2023. This represents a decline of 15.1% with respect to 2022, when 93% 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.

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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.
0%
2021 Default Rate
0
Number of Defaults

In 2021 the default rate for borrower's at University of South Carolina-Columbia was 0%, which represents 0 out of the 6038 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.

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Admissions

University of South Carolina-Columbia received 46,682 undergraduate applications in 2023, which represents a 10.7% annual growth. Out of those 46,682 applicants, 28,706 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 61.5% acceptance rate.

There were 36,579 students enrolled at University of South Carolina-Columbia in 2023. 32% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

University of South Carolina-Columbia has an overall enrollment yield of 25.5%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

61.5%
Acceptance Rate in 2023
28,706
Accepted Out of 46,682

In 2023, the undergraduate acceptance rate of University of South Carolina-Columbia was 61.5% (28,706 admissions from 46,682 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2022, which was 64.1%. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of applicants grew by 10.7%, while admissions grew by 6.23%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of University of South Carolina-Columbia (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

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SAT Scores

32%
Submission Percentage (2023)
2,360
Scores Submitted (2023)

32% of enrolled first-time students at University of South Carolina-Columbia in 2023 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

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Enrollment

University of South Carolina-Columbia had a total enrollment of 36,579 students in 2023. The full-time enrollment at University of South Carolina-Columbia is 32,556 students and the part-time enrollment is 4,023. This means that 89% 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 69.7% White, 10.1% Black or African American, 5.62% Hispanic or Latino, 4.17% Asian, 3.97% Two or More Races, 0.123% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0683% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at University of South Carolina-Columbia in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (42.2%), followed by White Male (31%) and Black or African American Female (5.32%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (34.9%), followed by White Male (22%) and Black or African American Female (7.65%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

89%
Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at University of South Carolina-Columbia in 2023, both undergraduate and graduate, is 36,579 students. The full-time enrollment at University of South Carolina-Columbia is 32,556 and the part-time enrollment is 4,023. This means that 89% of students enrolled at University of South Carolina-Columbia are enrolled full-time compared with 77.9% 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.

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Retention Rate over Time

91%
2023 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 91%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), 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.

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Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2023)
  1. White
    25,491 enrolled students
  2. Black or African American
    3,689 enrolled students
  3. Hispanic or Latino
    2,057 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at University of South Carolina-Columbia is 69.7% White, 10.1% Black or African American, 5.62% Hispanic or Latino, 4.17% Asian, 3.97% Two or More Races, 0.123% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0683% 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 46.5% White, 15.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.78% 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, 634 students (1.73%) did not report their race.

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Graduates

In 2023, 1,601 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 (7,632 degrees awarded). There were 8.82 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (865 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at University of South Carolina-Columbia is General Finance (597 degrees awarded), followed by General Public Health (435 degrees) and Experimental Psychology (405 degrees).

In 2023,  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 (148 degrees awarded), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (336 degrees), and Biology (811 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 (1,042,788 people), Other managers (926,721 people), Financial managers (545,312 people), Chief executives & legislators (459,154 people), and Physicians (423,120 people).

The most specialized majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia in 2023 are Library Science (148 degrees awarded), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (336 degrees), Biology (811 degrees), Communications (455 degrees), and Business (3,066 degrees) (as of 2023).

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Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons
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 Surgeons, Physicians, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, Chief executives & legislators, and Magnetic resonance imaging technologists

The most specialized majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia are Library Science (148 degrees awarded), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (336 degrees), Biology (811 degrees), Communications (455 degrees), and Business (3,066 degrees) (as of 2023).

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Common Industries by Major

uninformed
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 uninformed (1,898,191 people), General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (866,929 people), Elementary & secondary schools (840,415 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (736,744 people), and Computer Systems Design (686,531 people).

The most specialized majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia are Library Science (148 degrees awarded), Parks, Recreation, & Leisure (336 degrees), Biology (811 degrees), Communications (455 degrees), and Business (3,066 degrees) (as of 2023).

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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 (2023)
  1. General Finance
    597 degrees awarded
  2. General Public Health
    435 degrees awarded
  3. Experimental Psychology
    405 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common bachelors degree concentration at University of South Carolina-Columbia was General Finance with 597 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.

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Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

4,433
Degrees Awarded to Men
in 2023
6,034
Degrees Awarded to Women
in 2023

In 2023, 4,433 degrees were awarded to men at University of South Carolina-Columbia, which is 0.735 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (6,034).

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

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Most Common Male Majors

In 2023, 436 degrees were awarded to men at University of South Carolina-Columbia in General Finance, which is 2.71 times more than the 161 female recipients with that same degree.

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Most Common Female Majors

In 2023, 370 degrees were awarded to men at University of South Carolina-Columbia in General Public Health, which is 4.16 times more than the 89 male recipients with that same degree.

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Time to Complete

67%
100% Completion Time
78%
150% Completion Time

In 2023, 67% 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, 78% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 78% 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.

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Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.
Asian Female
Highest Graduation Rate (85.3%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2023 at University of South Carolina-Columbia is Female and Asian (85.3% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (74.3%).

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, 0.965% of graduates (44 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2023)
  1. White
    7,632 degrees awarded
  2. Black or African American
    865 degrees awarded
  3. Hispanic or Latino
    522 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at University of South Carolina-Columbia is white (7,632 degrees awarded). There were 8.82 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (865 degrees).

0.879% of degree recipients (92 students) did not report their race.

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Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2023)
  1. White Female
    4,388 degrees awarded
  2. White Male
    3,244 degrees awarded
  3. Black or African American Female
    594 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at University of South Carolina-Columbia is white female (4,388 degrees awarded). There were 1.35 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (3,244 degrees).

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Operations

University of South Carolina-Columbia has an endowment valued at nearly $718M, as of the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 10.3M (1.43%) compared to the 4.37% average return (19M on 434M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2023, University of South Carolina-Columbia had a total salary expenditure of 1.33B. University of South Carolina-Columbia employs 475 Professors, 436 Associate professors and 347 Assistant professors. Most academics at University of South Carolina-Columbia are Male Professor (303), Male Associate professor (218), and Female Associate professor (218).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of South Carolina-Columbia are: Management, with 1,012 employees, Office and Administrative Support, with 637 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 486 employees.

Endowment

$718M
2023 Endowment
7.72%
growth from 2022

University of South Carolina-Columbia has an endowment valued at about $718M, as of the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The endowment of University of South Carolina-Columbia grew 7.72% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $284M 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.

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Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts
  1. $154M - Federal
  2. $123M - State
  3. $677k - Local

As of 2023, University of South Carolina-Columbia received $154M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $123M from state grants and contracts, and $677k from local grants and contracts.

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Salary Expenditure

$591M
2023 Salaries
6.98%
growth from 2022

In 2023, University of South Carolina-Columbia paid a median of $591M in salaries, which represents 44.4% of their overall expenditure ($1.33B) and a 6.98% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 1.82% growth between 2021 and 2022, and a 2.61% growth between 2020 and 2021.

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Instructional Salaries

$180M
Instructional Salaries
1,568
Number of Employees

In 2023, University of South Carolina-Columbia paid a total of $180M to 1,568 employees working as instructors, which represents 30.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $6.13M (2.35%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

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Occupations by Share

Professor
Most Common Instructor
475 Employees
Management
Most Common Non-Instructional Employee
1,012 Employees

In 2023, the most common positions for instructional staff at University of South Carolina-Columbia were Professor with 475 employees, Associate professor with 436 employees, and Assistant professor with 347 employees.

In 2023, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at University of South Carolina-Columbia were Management with 1,012 employees, Office and Administrative Support with 637 employees, and Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media with 486 employees.

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Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2023)
  1. Male Professor
  2. Male Associate professor
  3. Female Associate professor

In 2023, the most common demographic for instructional staff at University of South Carolina-Columbia was Male Professor with 303 employees, Male Associate professor with 218 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.

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