University of South Carolina-Columbia

Columbia, SC · Public

Website Admissions

At a glance

60.2%

Acceptance rate

1,297

SAT Average

$24,532

Avg net price

28,113

Enrollment

Academic profile

SAT Average1,297

SAT Reading/Writing600–680

SAT Math580–680

ACT Composite26–32

Degrees awarded

2024-25

	Associate’s	Bachelor’s	Master’s	Doctoral
All fields, 2024-25Associate’s 0Bachelor’s 6,743Master’s 1,654Doctoral 925	0	6,743	1,654	925
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 1,798Master’s 408Doctoral 14	None reported	1,798	408	14
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 862Master’s 366Doctoral 404	None reported	862	366	404
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 783Master’s 72Doctoral 23	None reported	783	72	23
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 442Master’s 14Doctoral 11	None reported	442	14	11
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 435Master’s 26Doctoral 4	None reported	435	26	4
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 349Master’s 19Doctoral 19	None reported	349	19	19
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 326Master’s 64Doctoral 31	None reported	326	64	31
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 319Master’s 28Doctoral 13	None reported	319	28	13
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 297Master’s 53Doctoral 5	None reported	297	53	5
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 234Master’s 34Doctoral 26	None reported	234	34	26
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 230Master’s 6Doctoral 0	None reported	230	6	0
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 137Master’s 249Doctoral 119	None reported	137	249	119
Associate’s 0Bachelor’s 117Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported	0	117	None reported	None reported
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 80Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported	None reported	80	None reported	None reported
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 74Master’s 10Doctoral 5	None reported	74	10	5
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 58Master’s 9Doctoral 5	None reported	58	9	5
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 54Master’s 4Doctoral 14	None reported	54	4	14
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 48Master’s 17Doctoral 23	None reported	48	17	23
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 41Master’s 104Doctoral 3	None reported	41	104	3
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 30Master’s None reportedDoctoral None reported	None reported	30	None reported	None reported
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 19Master’s 4Doctoral 10	None reported	19	4	10
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 10Master’s 0Doctoral 2	None reported	10	0	2
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s 0Master’s 18Doctoral None reported	None reported	0	18	None reported
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s None reportedMaster’s None reportedDoctoral 192	None reported	None reported	None reported	192
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 145Doctoral 2	None reported	None reported	145	2
Associate’s None reportedBachelor’s None reportedMaster’s 4Doctoral None reported	None reported	None reported	4	None reported

College athletics

NCAA program details

NCAA program

University of South Carolina, Columbia

Primary division: Division I
Primary conference: Southeastern Conference

Projected sponsored sports21

BaseballBeach VolleyballFootball — Bowl SubdivisionMen's BasketballMen's GolfMen's SoccerMen's Swimming & DivingMen's Tennis

Athletic participation

571 unique student-athletes · 18 varsity teams

Application deadlines

For fall 2027 entry

Early Action

Passed

Oct 15, 2026

Regular Decision

Dec 1, 2026

FAFSA due Apr 1

· Apply with the college's application or Common App

Cost

Published on-campus price, 2024–25

Tuition: $12,288
Required fees: $400
Food and housing: $13,534
Books and supplies: $1,438
Other expenses: $4,530
Total: $32,190

Total by year

$28,8292019–2019–20
$29,1212020–2120–21
$29,1492021–2221–22
$29,9392022–2322–23
$31,9772023–2423–24
$32,1902024–2524–25

Net price by family income, 2022–23

Students of all incomes paid $24,532 on average. Grants and scholarships covered the rest of the cost.

Net price covers first-time, full-time students who received federal aid and paid in-state tuition.

Need-based aid, 2025–26

First-years with need-based aid: 48%
Average share of need met: 61%
Average need-based grant: $14,693
Required forms: FAFSA

Graduation and Retention

4-year graduation69%

6-year graduation78%

Retention rate91%

Earnings and Debt

Median earnings (10yr)$62,177

Median debt$21,500

Campus

Enrollment28,113

Student-faculty ratio18:1

SettingCity

Sources

IPEDS Institutional Characteristics · National Center for Education Statistics · 2025–26
IPEDS Admissions · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024–25
College Scorecard · U.S. Department of Education · 2025-10-03
Application process · College websites · 2026–27
NCAA Projected Sports Sponsorship by School · National Collegiate Athletic Association · 2025–26
Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act · U.S. Department of Education · 2024–25
Common Data Set · Reporting institutions · 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26
IPEDS Completions · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024–25
IPEDS Student Charges · National Center for Education Statistics · 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25

Every figure below is read directly from University of South Carolina-Columbia’s own reported data, with no scores, ratings, or estimates added. Derived from 5 Common Data Set filings (2021–22 to 2025–26).

University of South Carolina-Columbia admitted of applicants, a admit rate. Of those, enrolled, a yield, across 5 years of Common Data Set filings.

Applicant funnel and admit rateHover or arrow-key a year for exact values

Students and applicationsAdmit rate

ApplicationsAdmittedEnrolledAdmit rate

University of South Carolina-Columbia runs a nonbinding Early Action plan.

Early Action nonbindingApply by Oct 15

Regular Decision nonbindingApply by Dec 1 · priority date Dec 1

The enrolled class is roughly international, and about of its domestic students come from out of state. University of South Carolina-Columbia admits in-state applicants at 71.4%, out-of-state applicants at 51.7%, and international applicants at 69.7%.

Enrolled first-years by geography

7,818 first-years

Out-of-state (domestic)≈3,490In-state (domestic)≈4,265International≈63

Admit odds by pool

Test scores are considered but not required. SAT or ACT scores must arrive by Jan 15. Of enrolled first-years, submitted an SAT, down from 38% in 2021–22, and an ACT, down from 26%.

Some students submit both an SAT and an ACT, so the two shares overlap. They don’t add up to a single “submitted a test” rate.

SAT composite

32% of the class submitted an SAT

Middle 50%

Shape smoothed from reported percentiles and score bands

ACT composite

15% of the class submitted an ACT

Middle 50%

Shape smoothed from reported percentiles and score bands

University of South Carolina-Columbia’s enrolled first-years averaged a high-school GPA, among the 97.6% who submitted one. ranked in the top tenth of their high-school class, among the 63.1% who submitted class rank.

High-school GPA

shares of all enrolled first-years

Average 3.68

High-school class rank

Among the 63.1% of first-years who submitted class rank. Shares are cumulative — students in the top tenth also count in the top quarter and top half.

University of South Carolina-Columbia rates 1 factor "very important." Each column reads strongest first.

Academic

Academic GPA: Very important
Rigor of secondary school record: Important
Class rank: Important
Standardized test scores: Important
Application essay: Considered
Recommendation(s): Considered

Nonacademic

Extracurricular activities: Considered
Talent / ability: Considered
State residency: Considered
Volunteer work: Considered
Work experience: Considered
Interview: Not considered
Character / personal qualities: Not considered
First generation: Not considered
Alumni/ae relation: Not considered
Geographical residence: Not considered
Religious affiliation/commitment: Not considered
Level of applicant's interest: Not considered

University of South Carolina-Columbia's net price after grant aid, by family income. of first-years received need-based aid. The school meets of demonstrated need, split into .

What aid recipients pay, by income

net price

Each figure averages only families who received federal aid in that income band (College Scorecard); $24,532 across all aid recipients. Aid share: 3,735 of 7,808 first-years in the 2025–26 Common Data Set.

How need-based aid is determined

Cost of attendance − expected family contribution = demonstrated need

Forms a family files to be considered

FAFSA

Merit aid reached of the class, or of enrolled first-years. For international applicants, University of South Carolina-Columbia offers merit aid only: nonresidents received aid, averaging .

University of South Carolina-Columbia admitted students off the waitlist, about of the class.

Admitted off the waitlistHover or arrow-key a year for exact values

Admitted

Admitted off waitlist

90.7% of University of South Carolina-Columbia’s first-years return for a second year and 77.8% graduate within six. Median earnings ten years out are against of median federal debt, roughly a earnings-to-debt ratio.

Sources

Common Data Set · Reporting institutions · 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26
College Scorecard · U.S. Department of Education · 2025-10-03