Outcomes
Strong post-grad earnings
Median earnings 10 yrs out are above the graduate average.
This school$62.2k
National avg$48k
Source: CollegeScorecard 2024
Back to results
UniversitypublicVerified data
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC
Cost & Financial Aid
In-State Tuition
$12,688
Out-of-State Tuition
$35,972
Avg On-Campus Living
$13,534
Avg Off-Campus Living
$13,594
Financial Aid & Outcomes
CollegeScorecard · 2024
What will it actually cost?
Sticker price$26,222
Net price (after aid)$22,811
Most students pay the net price after financial aid, not the sticker price.
Net price by family income
$0 – $30k$12,634
$30k – $48k$14,953
$48k – $75k$19,859
$75k – $110k$24,478
$110k+$28,125
After graduation
Median earnings (10yr)$62,177
Median debt at graduation$21,500
Est. monthly loan payment$228
Earnings-to-debt ratio
Moderate · 2.9×Graduates earn about 2.9× their median debt every year.
Financial access
Students on Pell Grants19%
Pell Grants are federal aid for students from low-income families.
Students with federal loans41%
Share of students who borrowed to pay for school.
Some fields may not be reported by this institution. Verify final details with the school directly.
How does cost line up with outcomes across colleges? See our analysis of college cost vs. graduation and earnings, an association shaped by selectivity and sector, not proof a pricier college pays off.
Student Outcomes
Graduation Rate
79%
Freshman Retention
92%
Source: CollegeScorecard (2024)
Final aid offers, scholarships, and net price vary per family. Always verify with the school's financial aid office.
Scholarships available
Decision support · Cost & value
Quick Decision Highlights
The strongest cost, aid, and value reasons to consider this school.
Manageable graduate debt
$21.5k below avg
Strong completion rate
79% above avg
Strong year-1 retention
92% above avg
Affordability snapshot
In-state tuition
$12.7k
Out-of-state
$36k
Net price
$22.8k
Pell
19%
Median debt
$21.5k
below avg
Earnings (10y)
$62.2k
above avg
“Avg” comparisons reference national IPEDS / College Scorecard averages (~2022–23); figures are directional and vary by school and year.
Admissions
Acceptance rate
60%
SAT range
1180 - 1380
ACT range
26 - 32
Actions
Visit WebsiteView AdmissionsApply via Common AppReport incorrect data
Pin this school
Keep it saved while you compare options.
Location
Loading map...
UniversitiesCommunity Colleges1 school
Institution does not report this
Columbia, SC 29208
Academics
Studying online: a substantial share study entirely online
In Fall 2023, 3,068 of University of South Carolina-Columbia's 36,579 students (8%) were enrolled entirely at a distance. A further 19,817 (54%) took at least one distance course alongside in-person study.
Distance-education figures count STUDENTS enrolled in Fall 2023, not programs on offer. "Exclusively at a distance" means a student took only distance courses that term. A college with few or no such students may still run online courses or an online degree, so a low figure is not evidence that online study is unavailable, and a high one is not a judgement of quality either way.
U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS Fall Enrollment (distance education status), Fall 2023
Fields of study
University of South Carolina-Columbia reported conferring credentials in 106 different fields to the federal government. See which ones, and at what credential level.
Campus & Student Life
Area Safety Rating
Similar schools
Frequently asked questions
About University of South Carolina-Columbia
Built from CampusPin profile data. Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with the institution before applying. See our data methodology and data dictionary.
- Where is University of South Carolina-Columbia located?
- University of South Carolina-Columbia is located in Columbia, SC, in the United States.
- What type of institution is University of South Carolina-Columbia?
- University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public university based in SC. CampusPin classifies institutions as either four-year universities or two-year community colleges, with control labeled public or private.
- What is the acceptance rate at University of South Carolina-Columbia?
- The most recently reported acceptance rate at University of South Carolina-Columbia is approximately 60%. Acceptance rate signals selectivity but does not predict any individual applicant's outcome and is not a measure of school quality. CampusPin reports the federally-published value; verify the current cycle with the institution.
- What is the tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia?
- University of South Carolina-Columbia's published in-state tuition is approximately $12,688 per year. This is the published price before financial aid; the net price most students actually pay is typically lower. Verify the current academic-year tuition with the institution before applying.
- How many students attend University of South Carolina-Columbia?
- University of South Carolina-Columbia reports total enrollment of approximately 36,222 students (undergraduate plus graduate). Total enrollment is a useful sizing signal, see the institutional profile for additional breakdowns when available.
- How much does University of South Carolina-Columbia actually cost after financial aid?
- The average net price at University of South Carolina-Columbia is approximately $22,811 per year. Net price is the total cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships that never have to be repaid, so it is what students actually paid rather than the published sticker price. What families pay varies with income: students from families earning under $30,000 paid about $12,634 on average, and those from families earning $110,000 or more about $28,125. These are averages for students who received federal aid in a prior cohort, not a quote for any individual family. Run the institution's own Net Price Calculator for a figure specific to you.
- What is the graduation rate at University of South Carolina-Columbia?
- University of South Carolina-Columbia reports a graduation rate of approximately 79%. This measures the share of a prior entering cohort who completed their degree within the federal tracking window. It reflects who enrolls as much as what the institution does, so it is not on its own a measure of teaching quality, and it is not comparable across institutions serving very different students.
- How much student debt do graduates of University of South Carolina-Columbia have?
- Students who borrowed at University of South Carolina-Columbia left with a median of approximately $21,500 in federal loans, and about 41% of students took federal loans at all. Both numbers matter: a median describes only the students who borrowed, so it reads very differently at a school where most students borrow than at one where few do. Federal loans only, so private and parent borrowing are not included.
- How much do graduates of University of South Carolina-Columbia earn?
- Median earnings approximately ten years after entry are $62,177 for students who received federal financial aid at University of South Carolina-Columbia. This reflects the mix of programs the institution offers and the students who enroll, not the effect of attending, and it covers aid recipients rather than all graduates.
- How should I verify final details about University of South Carolina-Columbia?
- CampusPin compiles institutional data from public datasets like IPEDS and the College Scorecard, plus institutional websites and editorial review. Before applying, paying a deposit, or making a final decision, confirm admissions requirements, current tuition, financial aid, deadlines, and program details directly with University of South Carolina-Columbia.
Fields this college awarded credentials in
The 14 largest of 106 fields University of South Carolina-Columbia reported, by credentials conferred in 2023-24, using the federal classification of each field. The level is the highest credential actually awarded, which is not always the one a field is best known for.
| Field | Awarded | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Financial Management Services | 513 | Graduate20 graduate · 493 bachelor's |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 476 | Graduate216 graduate · 260 bachelor's |
| Public Health | 461 | Graduate59 graduate · 402 bachelor's |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 448 | Graduate208 graduate · 236 bachelor's · 4 certificate |
| Biology, General | 416 | Graduate39 graduate · 377 bachelor's |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | 394 | Graduate3 graduate · 391 bachelor's |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 359 | Graduate171 graduate · 188 bachelor's |
| Marketing | 351 | Bachelor's |
| International Business | 340 | Graduate189 graduate · 151 bachelor's |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 299 | Graduate51 graduate · 248 bachelor's |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 275 | Graduate8 graduate · 209 bachelor's · 58 certificate |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 233 | Graduate9 graduate · 224 bachelor's |
| Political Science and Government | 218 | Graduate6 graduate · 212 bachelor's |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | 210 | Graduate37 graduate · 173 bachelor's |
Fields are as classified in the federal IPEDS completions collection, which records credentials already conferred. A field listed here was awarded in the reporting year; it does not confirm the program is currently admitting students, and a field CampusPin has no guide for is still shown under its official federal title. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Explore more
Compare colleges side by sideAll colleges in South CarolinaSouth Carolina college costs by family incomeStudent debt at South Carolina collegesComputer science major guideBusiness major guideNursing major guidePsychology major guideEngineering major guide
Always verify final admissions, cost, financial aid, and program details with University of South Carolina-Columbia before applying.
Data sources & methodology
Reporting period: 2024Last verified: June 10, 2026
Facts on this profile of University of South Carolina-Columbia are compiled from federal datasets and the institution's own published information.
Sources used across this page
Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.
IPEDS / NCES College Navigator
Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.
Clery Act campus security reports
Annual campus security and fire-safety disclosures required of U.S. institutions.
Institutional websites
Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.
Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.
Suggested citation
CampusPin. (2024). University of South Carolina-Columbia, college profile. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/schools/university-of-south-carolina-columbia
About this information
CampusPin compiles college information from recent publicly available data, including federal and institutional sources. College information can change as institutions and public agencies release new data.
Represent University of South Carolina-Columbia?
Claim your CampusPin institution page to review and manage your profile, and help keep your institution's information current. Verified representatives can update profile details directly; figures published by federal agencies are updated through CampusPin's review process.