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University of South Carolina

Basic Information

Type Public
Geographical Reach National
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%
From State 54%
From Region 8%

Academics

Undergraduate Degrees
Business & Economics 32%
Humanities & Social Sciences 23%
Health Sciences 15%
Life & Natural Sciences 9%
Engineering 6%
Arts 5%
Computer Science 4%
Education 3%
Physical Sciences & Math 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 (50%)
Sunshine Hours 2,845 (80%)
Days Without Precipitation 255 (65%)

Admissions

Uses Common App Yes
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 #100
Graduate Degrees
Humanities & Social Sciences 395 #43
Life & Natural Sciences 455 #48
Engineering, Computing & Math 79 #74

Honors College

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

Standardized Tests

Test Scores

Test Policy optional
Submitted Test Scores 44%
SAT Range 1210 – 1330
SAT Math Range 580 – 680
SAT RW Range 600 – 680
ACT Range 26 – 32

Earnings by Major Category

Each major category's degree-weighted estimated median 5-year earnings at this college, expressed as a z-score against the national degree-weighted distribution for that category. 0 is the national average. The shaded band between +1.28 and −1.28 marks the central 80% of the national distribution (10th–90th percentile).

Schools & Majors

⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Arnold School of Public Health 589 21% / 79% 1% $57,333 94%
Cardiovascular Technology 14 — 21% / 79% 14% $51,777 33 98%
Exercise Science 173 — 34% / 66% 0% $62,997 63 98%
Public Health 402 — 16% / 84% 1% $55,090 43 93%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Arts and Sciences 1,803 38% / 62% 1% $54,911 95%
Cybersecurity 3 — 100% / 0% 0% $70,154 76 —
Chemistry 30 +2 33% / 67% 0% $70,138 76 100%
Geosciences 9 — 56% / 44% 0% $68,878 74 100%
Mathematics 37 — 54% / 46% 3% $74,650 81 94%
Physics 5 — 80% / 20% 20% $71,463 78 —
Statistics 17 +1 53% / 47% 6% $100,837 97 100%
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 48 — 44% / 56% 4% $65,858 69 100%
Biology 376 +1 28% / 72% 1% $60,846 58 95%
Neuroscience 20 +1 30% / 70% 0% $59,982 56 —
Economics 63 +5 78% / 22% 6% $68,890 74 97%
African American Studies 2 +1 100% / 0% 0% $47,912 22 84%
Anthropology 28 +2 36% / 64% 0% $42,350 10 88%
Area Studies 22 +2 14% / 86% 0% $46,493 19 100%
Chinese Studies 3 +1 67% / 33% 0% $46,493 19 100%
Classical Languages 1 — 0% / 100% 0% $60,005 56 —
Comparative Literature 1 — 0% / 100% 0% $53,320 38 —
Criminology and Criminal Justice 199 +25 41% / 59% 0% $49,134 26 96%
English 70 +4 24% / 76% 0% $46,297 18 96%
Foreign Languages 3 +2 0% / 100% 0% $60,119 57 —
French 3 +1 0% / 100% 0% $60,164 57 95%
Geography 17 +3 82% / 18% 0% $53,719 39 87%
German — — — — $60,101 57 —
History 59 +6 63% / 37% 0% $51,175 31 94%
International Affairs 28 +5 46% / 54% 0% $55,763 45 93%
Liberal Arts 15 — 33% / 67% 0% $41,776 10 89%
Philosophy 8 +2 62% / 38% 0% $44,857 15 94%
Political Science 201 +11 56% / 44% 0% $60,403 57 94%
Psychology 369 +22 18% / 82% 1% $48,055 23 96%
Religion/Religious Studies 4 +1 100% / 0% 0% $45,287 16 —
Russian 5 +2 60% / 40% 0% $59,964 56 —
Sociology 16 +2 19% / 81% 0% $43,426 12 91%
Spanish 7 +3 0% / 100% 0% $60,164 57 95%
University Studies 108 — 56% / 44% 2% $41,776 10 89%
Women's and Gender Studies 3 +2 0% / 100% 0% $47,912 22 84%
Dance 13 — 0% / 100% 8% $54,169 40 96%
Theatre 10 +1 40% / 60% 0% $41,252 9 —
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Education 165 14% / 86% 0% $43,312 94%
Early Childhood Education 46 — 0% / 100% 0% $43,561 12 94%
Elementary Education 75 — 8% / 92% 0% $43,561 12 94%
Middle School Education 23 — 39% / 61% 0% $43,561 12 94%
Physical Education 10 — 70% / 30% 0% $41,608 9 94%
Art Education 11 — 9% / 91% 0% $41,608 9 94%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Engineering and Computing 578 79% / 21% 4% $88,384 95%
Aerospace Engineering 30 — 83% / 17% 7% $90,663 93 —
Biomedical Engineering 34 — 41% / 59% 0% $73,342 80 91%
Chemical Engineering 38 — 66% / 34% 11% $99,912 97 94%
Civil Engineering 72 — 71% / 29% 3% $87,617 91 98%
Computer Engineering 34 — 85% / 15% 21% $87,710 91 92%
Electrical Engineering 37 — 89% / 11% 3% $98,758 96 94%
Mechanical Engineering 124 — 81% / 19% 1% $88,180 92 92%
Computer Science 133 — 83% / 17% 5% $87,069 91 97%
Information Technology 76 — 87% / 13% 1% $87,069 91 97%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management 538 53% / 47% 7% $58,966 96%
Hospitality Management 119 — 36% / 64% 11% $53,539 38 95%
Retailing 147 — 35% / 65% 8% $55,908 45 94%
Sport Management 248 — 73% / 27% 4% $63,908 65 98%
Tourism Management 24 — 33% / 67% 21% $53,539 38 95%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Information and Communications 383 31% / 69% 1% $61,279 97%
Information Science 27 — 56% / 44% 4% $84,792 90 —
Advertising 81 — 36% / 64% 1% $66,664 70 97%
Broadcast Journalism 36 — 39% / 61% 0% $51,441 32 93%
Digital Journalism 58 — 26% / 74% 0% $59,326 55 93%
Journalism 19 — 37% / 63% 0% $51,441 32 93%
Public Relations 73 — 14% / 86% 0% $66,664 70 97%
Media Arts 89 — 30% / 70% 0% $52,182 34 100%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Nursing 260 7% / 93% 0% $74,996 97%
Nursing 260 — 7% / 93% 0% $74,996 82 97%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Pharmacy 72 17% / 83% 3% $135,032 95%
Pharmaceutical Sciences 72 — 17% / 83% 3% $135,032 100 95%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
College of Social Work 33 9% / 91% 0% $45,169 90%
Social Work 33 — 9% / 91% 0% $45,169 16 90%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
Darla Moore School of Business 1,249 60% / 40% 3% $86,793 96%
Accounting 86 +19 63% / 37% 0% $84,344 89 98%
Business Analytics 131 +57 66% / 34% 3% $91,024 93 94%
Business Economics 37 +21 65% / 35% 3% $101,307 97 96%
Finance 379 +114 76% / 24% 4% $91,441 93 96%
International Business 135 +16 41% / 59% 2% $105,852 98 90%
Management 122 +72 53% / 47% 3% $69,907 75 98%
Marketing 239 +112 39% / 61% 4% $77,355 84 98%
Nonprofit Management 42 — 38% / 62% 0% $69,907 75 97%
Real Estate 30 +36 93% / 7% 0% $82,867 88 97%
Risk Management and Insurance 48 +14 71% / 29% 0% $85,286 90 100%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
School of Music 48 52% / 48% 0% $47,519 98%
Music 39 — 49% / 51% 0% $48,505 24 98%
Music Management 9 — 67% / 33% 0% $43,248 12 —
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
School of Visual Art and Design 130 45% / 55% 1% $40,412 93%
Art History 5 +2 0% / 100% 0% $40,790 8 90%
Film Studies 6 — 33% / 67% 0% $40,191 8 95%
Film and Media Arts 76 +3 61% / 39% 1% $40,191 8 95%
Studio Art 43 +1 23% / 77% 0% $40,790 8 90%
⇅ Trends Degrees Male/Female Intl Earnings ROI Employment
School of the Earth, Ocean and Environment 106 41% / 59% 0% $57,877 97%
Marine Science 36 +1 39% / 61% 0% $47,536 21 98%
Environmental Science 30 — 43% / 57% 0% $63,196 63 96%
Environmental Studies 40 +1 40% / 60% 0% $63,196 63 96%

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

WD-40 & Duct Tape Mechanical Engineering & Robotics
The Kinetic Energy Cartel

Physical Sciences & Math

Breaking Bad Chemistry
Kinetics & Dynamics Club

Life & Natural Sciences

Pre-Med Reject Waiting Room Biology
The Control Group
Doomsday Prepping with Data Environmental Science
Sustainability Squad
X-Ray Vision Required Clinical Diagnostics
Diagnostic Detectives

Health Sciences

Where Diagnoses Begin Laboratory Sciences
Lab Coats Required
Future Heroes (With 12-Hour Shifts) Nursing
Scrub Life
Sweat Equity Sports & Fitness
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
Passport Stamp Power Rankings International Business
Fluent in Four Languages, One of Them PowerPoint
Ballers, Shot Callers & Hollywood Hustlers Sports & Entertainment Business
Nepo-Baby Adjacent

Humanities & Social Sciences

Nosy for a Living Journalism
Reliable Sources (Allegedly)
Spin Class Professional Communication
Press-Release Artisans & Crisis-Comms JV
Feelings, But With Error Bars Research & Experimental Psychology
Under-the-Radar Lab Rats

Education

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