University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC

School Background

2022 Undergraduate Enrollment: 26,430
Graduate Enrollment: 8,607
Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Highest degree awarded: Graduate
Religious Affiliation: None

Campus Details

Medium City (100k-250k)
Four-year, large, primarily residential // full-time, more selective, higher transfer-in

Applicant and Admittance Traits

2022 Admission Rate: 61.56%

Male/Female: 44% / 56% (2017)

First generation college students: 19.5% (2017)
Percentage of students who are married when enrolled: 2.3% (2017)
Percentage of students who are veterans: 0.2% (2017)

Test scores for admission: Considered but not required
2022 Median Admit SAT: 1,286
SAT 25th Percentile - 75th: 1150 - 1360

2022 Median Admit ACT: 29
ACT 25th Percentile - 75th: 26 - 31

Appliants applying to 2+ schools: 62.7% (2017)
Appliants applying to 3+ schools: 42.1% (2017)
Appliants applying to 4+ schools: 31.4% (2017)
Appliants applying to 5+ schools: 22.8% (2017)

Ethnicity Information

White: 74.2%
Black: 8.7%
Hispanic: 5.5%
Asian: 4.1%
American Indian/Alaska Native: 0.2%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0.1%
2+ races: 4.2%
Non-resident alien: 2.0%
Unknown race: 1.0%

Costs & Fees

2022 Average Tuition & Fees (Room/Board/Books): $28,856
In-State tuition: $12,688
Out-of-State tuition: $33,928

Estimated books and supplies: $1,085 (2022)
Estimated on-campus room & board: $10,990 (2022)
Estimated on-campus other fees: $4,386 (2022)

Estimated off-campus room & board: $11,239 (2022)
Estimated off-campus other fees: $4,386 (2022)

Average Family Income: $101,041 (2017)
Median Family Income: $74,190 (2017)

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Percentage of students receiving Pell Grant: 19.6%
Percentage of students with Federal Loans: 43.1%

Median federal loan debt at graduation: $21,500 (2021)
Median federal loan payment: $228 (2021)

Household Income Net Cost
0-$30k $12,610
$30k-48k $16,370
$48k-75k $19,976
$75k-110k $22,375
$110k+ $24,716

Graduate Outcomes & Job Placements

4-year graduation rate: 67%
6-year graduation rate: 78%

1 year post-graduation workforce participation: 96.0% (2020)

Loans

Median federal debt for graduates: $21,500 (2021)
Median federal debt for non-graduates: $7,750 (2021)

Median federal debt for first-generation graduates: $18,625 (2021)
Median federal debt for Pell grant recipient graduates: $19,500 (2021)

Ability to Repay Loans

Graduates, % of Loans in Repayment
(Non-delinquent/default)
Percentage
@1 Year 69.7% (2015)
@3 year 75.9% (2017)
@5 year 82.6% (2017)


1-year Graduate % of Loans being Repaid (Non-delinquent/default) - Pell Grant Recipients: 50.4% (2015)
1-year Graduate % of Loans being Repaid - 1st Generation Attendees: 52.6% (2015)

Earnings Power

Median earnings, 1 year post graduation: $41,702 (2020)
Median earnings, 4 years post graduation: $52,987 (2020)

Popular Majors

Type of Degree Major 2022 Graduates Median Federal Debt Median Monthly Payment 1yr Median Earnings (monthly gross) 4yr Median Earnings (monthly gross)
Bachelor's Degree Radio, Television, and Digital Communication. 56 $21,500 $228 $32,810 ($2,734) $44,406 ($3,701)
Doctoral Degree Criminology. 3
Master's Degree Student Counseling and Personnel Services. 31 $445 $41,769 ($3,481) $49,798 ($4,150)
Doctoral Degree Student Counseling and Personnel Services. 5
Graduate/Professional Certificate Student Counseling and Personnel Services. 39
Bachelor's Degree Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. 144 $26,000 $260 $36,839 ($3,070) $38,005 ($3,167)
Master's Degree Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. 31 $347 $42,156 ($3,513) $43,896 ($3,658)
Doctoral Degree Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. 1
Bachelor's Degree Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. 27 $23,780 $232 $37,717 ($3,143) $38,368 ($3,197)
Master's Degree Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. 23 $380 $45,158 ($3,763) $47,722 ($3,977)
Doctoral Degree Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas. 3
Master's Degree Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. 7
Bachelor's Degree Biomedical/Medical Engineering. 50 $26,000 $244 $59,496 ($4,958) $71,054 ($5,921)
Master's Degree Biomedical/Medical Engineering. 5
Doctoral Degree Biomedical/Medical Engineering. 5
Bachelor's Degree Chemical Engineering. 67 $27,000 $278 $70,116 ($5,843) $86,093 ($7,174)
Master's Degree Chemical Engineering. 4
Doctoral Degree Chemical Engineering. 6
Doctoral Degree Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences. 5
Bachelor's Degree Civil Engineering. 67 $27,000 $276 $65,946 ($5,496) $76,849 ($6,404)
Master's Degree Civil Engineering. 9
Doctoral Degree Civil Engineering. 8
Doctoral Degree Computer Engineering. 9
Bachelor's Degree Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering. 49 $27,000 $286 $76,363 ($6,364) $84,115 ($7,010)
Master's Degree Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering. 11
Doctoral Degree Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering. 5
Bachelor's Degree Mechanical Engineering. 199 $25,000 $241 $68,054 ($5,671) $78,911 ($6,576)
Master's Degree Mechanical Engineering. 14
Doctoral Degree Mechanical Engineering. 11
Master's Degree Nuclear Engineering. 4
Doctoral Degree Nuclear Engineering. 1
Master's Degree Engineering-Related Fields. 13
Bachelor's Degree Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services. 1
Master's Degree Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services. 9
Doctoral Degree Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services. 4
Graduate/Professional Certificate Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services. 4
Bachelor's Degree Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. 13
Bachelor's Degree Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. 6
Master's Degree Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. 1
Bachelor's Degree Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. 25 $23,189 $239 $22,367 ($1,864) $50,389 ($4,199)
Master's Degree Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. 2
Doctoral Degree Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. 1
Bachelor's Degree Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. 2
First Professional Degree Law. 203 $1,312 $54,513 ($4,543) $78,338 ($6,528)
Bachelor's Degree English Language and Literature, General. 107 $26,000 $257 $24,306 ($2,026) $39,823 ($3,319)
Doctoral Degree Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology. 9
Bachelor's Degree Mathematics. 35 $22,700 $234 $47,155 ($3,930) $69,584 ($5,799)
Master's Degree Mathematics. 4
Doctoral Degree Mathematics. 11
Master's Degree Applied Mathematics. 5
Bachelor's Degree Statistics. 16
Master's Degree Statistics. 4
Doctoral Degree Statistics. 8
Graduate/Professional Certificate Statistics. 16
Graduate/Professional Certificate Museology/Museum Studies. 3
Bachelor's Degree Health and Physical Education/Fitness. 177 $25,000 $228 $39,703 ($3,309) $55,909 ($4,659)
Master's Degree Health and Physical Education/Fitness. 42 $343 $41,796 ($3,483) $53,189 ($4,432)
Doctoral Degree Health and Physical Education/Fitness. 2
Bachelor's Degree Philosophy. 14 $25,000 $30,831 ($2,569)
Master's Degree Philosophy. 2
Doctoral Degree Philosophy. 8
Bachelor's Degree Religion/Religious Studies. 9
Bachelor's Degree Chemistry. 51 $25,046 $247 $34,983 ($2,915) $55,534 ($4,628)
Master's Degree Chemistry. 4
Doctoral Degree Chemistry. 29 $67,028 ($5,586)
Bachelor's Degree Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences. 21 $26,500 $246 $40,243 ($3,354)
Master's Degree Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences. 9
Doctoral Degree Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences. 2
Bachelor's Degree Physics. 6
Master's Degree Music. 28 $437 $28,762 ($2,397) $28,810 ($2,401)
Doctoral Degree Music. 19 $51,602 ($4,300)
Graduate/Professional Certificate Music. 3
Master's Degree Communication Disorders Sciences and Services. 61 $751 $56,154 ($4,680) $60,643 ($5,054)
Doctoral Degree Communication Disorders Sciences and Services. 1
Master's Degree Health and Medical Administrative Services. 34 $511 $60,278 ($5,023) $76,272 ($6,356)
Bachelor's Degree Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions. 40 $27,000 $285 $38,661 ($3,222) $45,243 ($3,770)
Master's Degree Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions. 45 $967 $48,582 ($4,049)
First Professional Degree Medicine. 179 $2,399 $57,922 ($4,827) $106,839 ($8,903)
Graduate/Professional Certificate Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions. 18 $630 $43,289 ($3,607)
Bachelor's Degree Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration. 57
Doctoral Degree Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration. 1
First Professional Degree Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration. 106 $1,285 $99,857 ($8,321) $125,398 ($10,450)
Bachelor's Degree Public Health. 317 $24,958 $228 $29,573 ($2,464) $43,924 ($3,660)
Graduate/Professional Certificate Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. 98
Master's Degree Accounting and Related Services. 75 $233 $59,502 ($4,959) $80,664 ($6,722)
Bachelor's Degree Business/Managerial Economics. 76 $25,000 $246 $55,310 ($4,609) $75,178 ($6,265)
Bachelor's Degree Finance and Financial Management Services. 557 $25,000 $246 $58,593 ($4,883) $79,318 ($6,610)
Bachelor's Degree Hospitality Administration/Management. 190 $26,000 $228 $34,463 ($2,872) $45,324 ($3,777)
Master's Degree Hospitality Administration/Management. 4
Doctoral Degree Hospitality Administration/Management. 1
Master's Degree Human Resources Management and Services. 37 $346 $97,860 ($8,155) $111,528 ($9,294)
Bachelor's Degree International Business. 131 $25,174 $267 $66,784 ($5,565) $89,299 ($7,442)
Master's Degree International Business. 82 $466 $78,062 ($6,505) $109,100 ($9,092)
Graduate/Professional Certificate Management Information Systems and Services. 42
Bachelor's Degree Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods. 275 $22,922 $239 $64,140 ($5,345) $80,943 ($6,745)
Bachelor's Degree Natural Resources Conservation and Research. 38 $25,500 $254 $36,391 ($3,033) $49,481 ($4,123)
Bachelor's Degree Area Studies. 23 $20,125 $207
Bachelor's Degree Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies. 11
Graduate/Professional Certificate Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies. 7
Bachelor's Degree Communication and Media Studies. 52 $25,500 $239 $28,432 ($2,369)
Doctoral Degree Communication and Media Studies. 3
Bachelor's Degree Journalism. 82 $26,000 $231 $34,356 ($2,863) $46,183 ($3,849)
Master's Degree Journalism. 16
Bachelor's Degree Computer Engineering. 46 $27,000 $272 $66,826 ($5,569) $75,680 ($6,307)
Master's Degree English Language and Literature, General. 6
Doctoral Degree English Language and Literature, General. 13 $54,626 ($4,552)
Master's Degree Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies. 7
Bachelor's Degree Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. 116 $26,000 $207 $31,366 ($2,614) $35,031 ($2,919)
Master's Degree Library Science and Administration. 113 $439 $43,303 ($3,609) $45,826 ($3,819)
Doctoral Degree Library Science and Administration. 4
Graduate/Professional Certificate Library Science and Administration. 2
Bachelor's Degree Biology, General. 288 $24,620 $228 $26,502 ($2,209) $45,891 ($3,824)
Master's Degree Biology, General. 19 $29,147 ($2,429)
Doctoral Degree Biology, General. 8 $69,826 ($5,819)
Graduate/Professional Certificate Biology, General. 11
Bachelor's Degree Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology. 57 $26,300 $246 $26,131 ($2,178)
Master's Degree Genetics. 8
Bachelor's Degree Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences. 233 $25,000 $246 $25,862 ($2,155) $53,389 ($4,449)
Master's Degree Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences. 7
Master's Degree Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology. 1
Doctoral Degree Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology. 1
Bachelor's Degree Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology. 59 $18,896 $201 $23,236 ($1,936) $37,752 ($3,146)
Master's Degree Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology. 11
Doctoral Degree Physics. 7
Master's Degree Physical Sciences, Other. 4
Bachelor's Degree Research and Experimental Psychology. 261 $24,250 $228 $27,194 ($2,266) $39,456 ($3,288)
Master's Degree Research and Experimental Psychology. 2
Doctoral Degree Research and Experimental Psychology. 2
Master's Degree Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology. 9
Doctoral Degree Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology. 17
Bachelor's Degree Criminal Justice and Corrections. 204 $25,000 $217 $33,100 ($2,758) $43,883 ($3,657)
Master's Degree Criminal Justice and Corrections. 4
Master's Degree Public Administration. 18 $51,429 ($4,286)
Bachelor's Degree Social Work. 49 $24,000 $228 $24,876 ($2,073) $40,123 ($3,344)
Master's Degree Social Work. 229 $466 $41,230 ($3,436) $48,412 ($4,034)
Doctoral Degree Social Work. 1
Graduate/Professional Certificate Social Work. 8
Bachelor's Degree Anthropology. 28 $23,687 $191 $20,526 ($1,711) $28,454 ($2,371)
Master's Degree Anthropology. 2
Doctoral Degree Anthropology. 4
Bachelor's Degree Economics. 80 $24,062 $227 $41,363 ($3,447) $57,679 ($4,807)
Master's Degree Economics. 12
Doctoral Degree Economics. 3
Bachelor's Degree Geography and Cartography. 25 $23,250 $228 $40,648 ($3,387) $48,306 ($4,026)
Master's Degree Geography and Cartography. 9
Doctoral Degree Geography and Cartography. 4
Bachelor's Degree International Relations and National Security Studies. 51 $20,500 $200 $24,663 ($2,055) $49,363 ($4,114)
Bachelor's Degree Political Science and Government. 157 $25,000 $228 $32,103 ($2,675) $49,917 ($4,160)
Master's Degree Political Science and Government. 4
Doctoral Degree Political Science and Government. 5
Bachelor's Degree Sociology. 37 $27,000 $268 $30,897 ($2,575) $41,963 ($3,497)
Master's Degree Sociology. 3
Doctoral Degree Sociology. 1
Master's Degree Social Sciences, Other. 4
Bachelor's Degree Dance. 12 $25,509 ($2,126)
Bachelor's Degree Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft. 10
Master's Degree Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft. 12
Bachelor's Degree Film/Video and Photographic Arts. 86 $25,750 $239 $24,822 ($2,069) $33,768 ($2,814)
Master's Degree Film/Video and Photographic Arts. 3
Bachelor's Degree Fine and Studio Arts. 54 $27,000 $245 $25,566 ($2,131) $32,724 ($2,727)
Master's Degree Fine and Studio Arts. 6
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma Music. 17
Bachelor's Degree Music. 48 $27,000 $286 $36,426 ($3,036) $40,181 ($3,348)
Master's Degree Public Health. 49 $623 $48,146 ($4,012) $58,904 ($4,909)
Doctoral Degree Public Health. 25 $84,004 ($7,000)
Graduate/Professional Certificate Public Health. 1
Master's Degree Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions. 5
Doctoral Degree Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions. 19 $1,263 $64,967 ($5,414) $75,087 ($6,257)
Graduate/Professional Certificate Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions. 2
Bachelor's Degree Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. 223 $24,250 $248 $65,944 ($5,495) $66,230 ($5,519)
Master's Degree Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. 210 $502 $97,806 ($8,151) $139,887 ($11,657)
Doctoral Degree Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. 35 $710 $96,216 ($8,018)
Graduate/Professional Certificate Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. 18 $121,418 ($10,118)
Bachelor's Degree Business Administration, Management and Operations. 393 $26,000 $239 $44,837 ($3,736) $57,877 ($4,823)
Master's Degree Business Administration, Management and Operations. 197 $466 $102,247 ($8,521) $124,913 ($10,409)
Doctoral Degree Business Administration, Management and Operations. 8
Bachelor's Degree Accounting and Related Services. 157 $25,826 $268 $53,308 ($4,442) $72,537 ($6,045)
Bachelor's Degree Marketing. 457 $23,750 $246 $49,609 ($4,134) $62,400 ($5,200)
Bachelor's Degree Real Estate. 44 $22,500 $228 $45,469 ($3,789)
Bachelor's Degree Insurance. 146 $25,995 $267 $58,461 ($4,872) $73,714 ($6,143)
Bachelor's Degree General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations. 130 $24,979 $246 $38,355 ($3,196) $53,030 ($4,419)
Bachelor's Degree History. 73 $22,550 $217 $26,976 ($2,248) $43,166 ($3,597)
Master's Degree History. 9
Doctoral Degree History. 8
Bachelor's Degree Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. 232 $24,250 $244 $39,637 ($3,303) $54,570 ($4,548)
Graduate/Professional Certificate Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication. 2
Bachelor's Degree Computer and Information Sciences, General. 210 $25,250 $246 $61,660 ($5,138) $78,153 ($6,513)
Bachelor's Degree Information Science/Studies. 9
Master's Degree Computer Science. 19
Master's Degree Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. 1
Graduate/Professional Certificate Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. 7
Master's Degree Education, General. 29 $345 $45,407 ($3,784)
Doctoral Degree Education, General. 2
Doctoral Degree Curriculum and Instruction. 98 $629 $70,158 ($5,847)
Master's Degree Educational Administration and Supervision. 95 $367 $52,866 ($4,406) $62,806 ($5,234)
Doctoral Degree Educational Administration and Supervision. 2
Graduate/Professional Certificate Educational Administration and Supervision. 17
Master's Degree Educational/Instructional Media Design. 5
Doctoral Degree Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research. 1
Doctoral Degree Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education. 1
Master's Degree Special Education and Teaching. 10 $47,591 ($3,966)
Doctoral Degree Special Education and Teaching. 1
Master's Degree Computer Engineering. 12


Campus Resources

Average faculty salary: $102,393
Full time faculty: 71%

Undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio: 18.0

School's endowment start of year: $610,313,618 (2022)
School's endowment end of year: $759,523,221 (2022)