University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SCColumbia-Campus, Columbia, SC 29208
803-777-7000
The University of South Carolina is a public research university in Columbia, South Carolina. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, USC is the flagship institution of the University of South Carolina System and offers more than 350 programs of study, leading to bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees from fourteen degree-granting colleges and schools. The University of South Carolina has a total enrollment of more than 49,000 students, with over 34,000 undergraduates and over 15,000 graduate and professional students. USC also has several thousand non-degree-seeking students, including international students.
USC is classified as an R1 research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The university also houses the largest collection of Robert Burns and Scottish literature materials outside of Scotland, and the second largest collection of Civil War manuscripts in the United States. USC's endowment exceeded $1.2 billion in 2018, ranking it among the largest endowments in the United States.
As the state's flagship university, the University of South Carolina is known for its research and academic excellence. The university's fourteen degree-granting colleges and schools offer more than 350 degree programs to 49,000 students. USC is also home to a number of research institutes and centers, including the Darla Moore School of Business, the School of Law, the Arnold School of Public Health, the Children's Law Center, and the Center for Civil Rights History and Research.
The University of South Carolina was founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, a public institution of higher learning that offered instruction in the liberal arts and sciences. The college was founded by the South Carolina General Assembly with the goal of educating the state's young men in the "principles of liberty and republicanism." The college opened its doors in 1805 with an initial class of just over thirty students.
The University of South Carolina is located in the state capital of Columbia, which is also the largest city in the state. The university's main campus covers more than 359 acres (1.5 km2) in downtown Columbia, and includes more than fifty buildings. The university also has several satellite campuses located throughout the state, including in Greenville, Myrtle Beach, and Spartanburg.
The University of South Carolina is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 35470
Acceptance Rate: 68.35%
Type: Public, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.sc.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.sc.edu/financialaid/
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $29121
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $50361
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at University of South Carolina-Columbia is $116842.35. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at University of South Carolina-Columbia. For graduates of University of South Carolina-Columbia, we saw an average early-career income of $41200.00 and mid-career income of $62000.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.