University of South Carolina

Columbia, SC · Public

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Admission rate

University of South Carolina admitted 60.2% of applicants university-wide (31,701 of 52,703).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide60.2%31,70152,703
In-state76.2%9,93413,042
Out-of-state54.7%21,37939,067
International applicants65.3%388594
Men55.1%11,37720,662
Women63.4%20,32432,041

Also offers Early Action (closes Oct 15) — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 31,701 admitted students, 7,272 enrolled (22.9% yield).

University of South Carolina U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C1–C2 · 2023Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1190–1350
ACT (mid-50%)
26–32
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
4.004.00

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

University of South Carolina U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C9–C12 · 2023Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $54,370/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$35,972
Fees, housing, food, books & other$18,398
Sticker cost of attendance$54,370/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$12,634
$30k–48k$14,953
$48k–75k$19,859
$75k–110k$24,478
Over $110k$28,125

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • Faculty & Staff Dependent ScholarshipsVaries (Other)
  • Gamecock GuaranteeVaries (Need Based)
  • Health Workforce ScholarshipsVaries (Other)
  • USC Access GrantVaries (Need Based)
  • USC Commitment GrantVaries (Need Based)

International applicants

No need-based aid reported for internationals.

  • Faculty & Staff Dependent ScholarshipsVaries (Other)
  • Gamecock GuaranteeVaries (Need Based)
  • Health Workforce ScholarshipsVaries (Other)
  • USC Access GrantVaries (Need Based)
  • USC Commitment GrantVaries (Need Based)

University of South Carolina U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections G–H · 2023

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Completed USC Application (including essay and activities)
  • Unofficial high school transcript
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Completed USC Application (including essay and activities)
  • Unofficial high school transcript
  • SAT or ACT scores (optional)
  • Application fee
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

University of South Carolina · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

University of South Carolina requires no supplemental essays.

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 3, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$62,177
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
78.8%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
92%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$21,500
At graduation

University of South Carolina · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Deadlines

  • 2026-10-15Early ActionNon-binding early round
  • 2026-12-01Regular DecisionStandard deadline

University of South Carolina U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections C21–C22 · 2023

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (31%), Biological & life sciences (10%), Psychology (6%).

Student–faculty ratio: 19:1 · 34% of class sections have under 20 students.

University of South Carolina U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard · Sections E, F, I · 2023Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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