Back to Colleges

University of South Carolina

Basic Information

Type Public
Location Columbia, SC
Population 550,000
Website https://www.sc.edu/
Map of the United States

Demographics

Total Undergraduates 28,113
Men / Women 41% / 59%
White 62%
Black 15%
Hispanic 7%
Mixed 4%
Asian 3%
International 1%
Native American 0%

Academics

Undergraduate Degrees
Business & Economics 32%
Life & Natural Sciences 26%
Humanities & Social Sciences 23%
Engineering, Computing & Math 11%
Arts 5%
Education 2%

Financial

In-State Tuition & Fees $12,688
Out-of-State Tuition & Fees $35,972
Est. In-State Cost $16,413
Est. Out-of-State Cost $46,533
10-Year ROI $176,000
ROI Percentile 71th

Retention & Graduation

Full-Time Retention 92%
4-Year Graduation Rate 70%
6-Year Graduation Rate 79%
Transfer-Out Rate 15%

Weather

Comfortable Days 105 (50th pctl)
Sunshine Hours 2,845 (80th pctl)
Days Without Precipitation 255 (65th pctl)
Muggyness Nice

Admissions

Acceptance Rate 55%
Yield (Unbound) 23%
Early Action Oct 15
Regular Decision Jan 1

Research

Research Level R1
Expenditure
Humanities & Social Sciences $32M #51
Engineering, Computing & Math $68M #94
Life & Natural Sciences $130M #101
Graduate Degrees
Humanities & Social Sciences 395 #44
Life & Natural Sciences 455 #57
Engineering, Computing & Math 79 #74

Honors College

Name South Carolina Honors College
Students 2,300 (8%)

Standardized Tests

Test Scores

Test Policy test_optional
Submitted Test Scores 44%
SAT Range 1,180 – 1,360
ACT Range 26 – 32

Schools & Majors

⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Arnold School of Public Health 589 21% / 79% 1% $73,913
Cardiovascular Technology 14 — 21% / 79% 14% $55,674
Exercise Science 173 — 34% / 66% 0% $67,739
Public Health 402 — 16% / 84% 1% $77,206
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
College of Arts and Sciences 1,803 38% / 62% 1% $59,547
Mathematics 37 — 54% / 46% 3% $80,269
Physics 5 — 80% / 20% 20% —
Statistics 17 +1 53% / 47% 6% —
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 48 — 44% / 56% 4% —
Biology 376 +1 28% / 72% 1% $71,128
Chemistry 30 +2 33% / 67% 0% $75,417
Geosciences 9 — 56% / 44% 0% —
Neuroscience 20 +1 30% / 70% 0% —
Economics 63 +5 78% / 22% 6% $74,075
African American Studies 2 +1 100% / 0% 0% $51,518
Anthropology 28 +2 36% / 64% 0% $45,538
Area Studies 22 +2 14% / 86% 0% —
Chinese Studies 3 +1 67% / 33% 0% —
Classical Languages 1 — 0% / 100% 0% —
Comparative Literature 1 — 0% / 100% 0% —
Criminology and Criminal Justice 199 +25 41% / 59% 0% $52,832
English 70 +4 24% / 76% 0% $49,782
Foreign Languages 3 +2 0% / 100% 0% —
French 3 +1 0% / 100% 0% $64,692
Geography 17 +3 82% / 18% 0% $57,762
German
History 59 +6 63% / 37% 0% $55,027
International Affairs 28 +5 46% / 54% 0% $59,960
Liberal Arts 15 — 33% / 67% 0% $44,920
Philosophy 8 +2 62% / 38% 0% —
Political Science 201 +11 56% / 44% 0% $64,949
Psychology 369 +22 18% / 82% 1% $51,672
Religion/Religious Studies 4 +1 100% / 0% 0% —
Russian 5 +2 60% / 40% 0% —
Sociology 16 +2 19% / 81% 0% $46,695
Spanish 7 +3 0% / 100% 0% $64,692
University Studies 108 — 56% / 44% 2% $44,920
Women's and Gender Studies 3 +2 0% / 100% 0% $51,518
Dance 13 — 0% / 100% 8% —
Theatre 10 +1 40% / 60% 0% —
Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy 3 — 100% / 0% 0% —
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
College of Education 165 14% / 86% 0% $49,299
Physical Education 10 — 70% / 30% 0% $49,994
Early Childhood Education 46 — 0% / 100% 0% $49,198
Elementary Education 75 — 8% / 92% 0% $49,198
Middle School Education 23 — 39% / 61% 0% $49,198
Art Education 11 — 9% / 91% 0% $49,994
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
College of Engineering and Computing 578 79% / 21% 4% $94,903
Aerospace Engineering 30 — 83% / 17% 7% —
Biomedical Engineering 34 — 41% / 59% 0% $78,862
Chemical Engineering 38 — 66% / 34% 11% $107,432
Civil Engineering 72 — 71% / 29% 3% $94,212
Computer Engineering 34 — 85% / 15% 21% $94,312
Computer Science 133 — 83% / 17% 5% $93,623
Electrical Engineering 37 — 89% / 11% 3% $106,191
Information Technology 76 — 87% / 13% 1% $93,623
Mechanical Engineering 124 — 81% / 19% 1% $94,817
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management 538 53% / 47% 7% $61,959
Hospitality Management 119 — 36% / 64% 11% $57,569
Retailing 147 — 35% / 65% 8% $60,116
Sport Management 248 — 73% / 27% 4% $65,583
Tourism Management 24 — 33% / 67% 21% $57,569
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
College of Information and Communications 383 31% / 69% 1% $66,595
Information Science 27 — 56% / 44% 4% —
Advertising 81 — 36% / 64% 1% $71,682
Broadcast Journalism 36 — 39% / 61% 0% $55,313
Digital Journalism 58 — 26% / 74% 0% $63,791
Journalism 19 — 37% / 63% 0% $55,313
Public Relations 73 — 14% / 86% 0% $71,682
Media Arts 89 — 30% / 70% 0% —
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
College of Nursing 260 7% / 93% 0% $125,019
Nursing 260 — 7% / 93% 0% $125,019
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
College of Pharmacy 72 17% / 83% 3% $145,196
Pharmaceutical Sciences 72 — 17% / 83% 3% $145,196
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
College of Social Work 33 9% / 91% 0% $53,170
Social Work 33 — 9% / 91% 0% $53,170
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
Darla Moore School of Business 1,249 60% / 40% 3% $99,931
Accounting 86 +19 63% / 37% 0% $99,935
Business Analytics 131 +57 66% / 34% 3% $97,875
Business Economics 37 +21 65% / 35% 3% $108,932
Finance 379 +114 76% / 24% 4% $98,324
International Business 135 +16 41% / 59% 2% $124,447
Management 122 +72 53% / 47% 3% $109,901
Marketing 239 +112 39% / 61% 4% $83,177
Nonprofit Management 42 — 38% / 62% 0% $109,901
Real Estate 30 +36 93% / 7% 0% —
Risk Management and Insurance 48 +14 71% / 29% 0% $91,705
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
School of Music 48 52% / 48% 0% $54,670
Music 39 — 49% / 51% 0% $54,670
Music Management 9 — 67% / 33% 0% —
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
School of Visual Art and Design 130 45% / 55% 1% $43,453
Art History 5 +2 0% / 100% 0% $43,860
Film Studies 6 — 33% / 67% 0% $43,216
Film and Media Arts 76 +3 61% / 39% 1% $43,216
Studio Art 43 +1 23% / 77% 0% $43,860
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl 5yr Earn
School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment 106 41% / 59% 0% $62,234
Environmental Science 30 — 43% / 57% 0% $67,953
Environmental Studies 40 +1 40% / 60% 0% $67,953
Marine Science 36 +1 39% / 61% 0% $51,114

Rankings

Politically Incorrect

Equal Opportunity Objectification Most Attractive Men
Rugged & Bookish
I'm Getting Cancelled in 3, 2, 1... Most Attractive Women
Double Takes

Prestige

I Peaked in AP Calc But Now I Get Priority Registration Top 15 Honors Colleges
Public Ivy But With Actual Fun and/or Football

Engineering, Computing & Math

No, I Can't Fix Your Printer Computer Science
10k-Student Server Crashers
WD-40 & Duct Tape Mechanical Engineering & Robotics
The Kinetic Energy Cartel

Life & Natural Sciences

Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room Biology
The Control Group
Breaking Bad Chemistry
Kinetics & Dynamics Club
X-Ray Vision Required Clinical Diagnostics
Diagnostic Detectives
Doomsday Prepping with Data Environmental Science
Sustainability Squad
Where Diagnoses Begin Laboratory Sciences
Lab Coats Required
Future Heroes (With 12-Hour Shifts) Nursing
Scrub Life
Jocks R'US Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation
The Training Room

Business & Economics

LIFO the Party Accounting
Spreadsheet Soldiers
PowerPoint Presentation Power Rankings Business Administration
Regional Boardroom Rulers
It's Basic Supply and Demand, Bro Economics
Comparative Advantage State Anchors
May I Take Your Order? Hospitality & Tourism
Solid Training Ground
Ballers, Shot Callers & Hollywood Hustlers Sports & Entertainment Business
Nepo-Baby Adjacent

Humanities & Social Sciences

Professional Yapping Communication & Journalism
Solidly Upper-Middle-Class Comm Degrees
I Want To Understand Myself Psychology
Sleeper Picks

Education

History Repeats Itself Social Sciences Education
Document-Based Question Crew
Gym Class Heroes and Art Teachers Specific Subjects Education
Niche Educators