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Statement · Columbia, SC

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Public4-year · Bachelor's degreesCompare with other schools →

  1. Families earning under $30k paid $12,634 a year after grants and aid, against a published cost of $31,638.

  2. Students who received federal aid earned a median $62,177 ten years after entering, the 77th percentile among public 4-years.

  3. 79% of students finish within 150% of normal time.

Founded
1801
Enrollment, 2023
38,804
Website
sc.edu
Campus of University of South Carolina-Columbia

Dfscgt21 · CC BY-SA 3.0

AboutPublic university in Columbia, South Carolina, US. Wikipedia ↗

Read the Wikipedia extract

The University of South Carolina is a public research university in Columbia, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1801 as South Carolina College, it is the flagship of the University of South Carolina System and the largest university in the state by enrollment. Its main campus is on over 359 acres (145 ha) in downtown Columbia, close to the South Carolina State House. The university is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities with Highest Research Activity". It houses the largest collection of Robert Burns and Scottish literature materials outside Scotland and the world's largest Ernest Hemingway collection.

From the Wikipedia article “University of South Carolina”, revision 1362119004, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.

What it costs

The published sticker cost is $31,638 a year; after grants, families who received aid paid between $12,634 and $28,125 a year depending on income at University of South Carolina-Columbia.

Statement of cost · University of South Carolina-Columbia

Family income (per year)
Sticker costPublished yearly cost of attendance, all students
$31,638
What families earning under $30k paidYearly net price after grants, for students receiving federal aid
$12,634
Average net price, all incomesAided students, all family incomes
$22,811
In-state tuition & feesLatest reported, 2024
$12,688

Each figure is reported separately; none is computed from another.

Net price by family income

Pick an income bracket above; the marked point follows. Dollars are what aided families paid each year after grants.

Yearly net price by family income, in dollars

under $30k: $12,634; $30–48k: $14,953; $48–75k: $19,859; $75–110k: $24,478; over $110k: $28,125. Shaded band: middle half of public 4-years, from $8,778 to $16,425; dotted line at the median, $12,780.
  • Shaded: the middle half of public 4-years (all incomes), $8,778 to $16,425. Dotted line: the median, $12,780.
Table of the same numbers
Average yearly net price by family income bracket
Family incomePaid per year
Under $30k$12,634
$30k–$48k$14,953
$48k–$75k$19,859
$75k–$110k$24,478
Over $110k$28,125

College Scorecard, 2023–24 aid cohort (students who received federal aid)

What graduates earn and owe

Ten years after entry, the median federally aided student here earns $62,177; the median graduate who borrowed owes $21,500.

Statement, continued

Earnings, 6 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
$50,621
Earnings, 8 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
$57,722
Median earnings 10 years after entryFederally aided (Title IV) students only. Median.
77th percentile among public 4-years
$62,177
Median debt, graduatesStudents who finished and borrowed federal loans.
68th percentile among public 4-years
$21,500
Median debt, all who borrowedEveryone who borrowed, whether or not they finished.
$18,500

Earnings and debt come from federal aid records, so students who never received federal aid are not counted.

Earnings after entry

The shaded band is the middle half of public 4-years at 10 years: $42,655 to $60,720.

6 yrs after entry: $50,621; 8 yrs after entry: $57,722; 10 yrs after entry: $62,177. Median graduate debt: $21,500. Shaded band: middle half of public 4-years at 10 years, from $42,655 to $60,720; dotted line at the median, $50,178.
  • Shaded: middle half of public 4-years, 10 years out ($42,655 to $60,720); dotted line is the median.
  • Dashed: median graduate debt, $21,500.

Earnings cover federally aided (Title IV) students only. Hollow marks are rungs with no reported value, not zero.

Table of the same numbers
Earnings after entry and graduate debt
MeasureDollars
Median earnings, 6 yrs after entry$50,621
Median earnings, 8 yrs after entry$57,722
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry$62,177
Median graduate debt$21,500

College Scorecard, federal tax and aid records

What programs pay

Median earnings five years after completing, by field of study. Small programs are privacy-suppressed and shown as not reported, never zero.

What programs pay at University of South Carolina-Columbia
ProgramCredentialGraduatesEarnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's Degree597$91,441$25,000
Public HealthBachelor's Degree435$55,090$24,958
Research and Experimental PsychologyBachelor's Degree405$48,055$24,250
Biology, GeneralBachelor's Degree390$60,846$24,620
MarketingBachelor's Degree367$77,355$23,750
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree296$63,908$25,000
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree262$69,907$26,000
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's Degree241$74,996$24,250
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's Degree239$87,069$25,250
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's Degree223$49,134$25,000
Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsBachelor's Degree217$91,024$22,922
LawFirst Professional Degree215$95,937not reported
Show all 28 programs
Remaining programs
ProgramCredentialGraduatesEarnings, 5 yrsMedian debt
Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's Degree210$60,403$25,000
Physiology, Pathology and Related SciencesBachelor's Degree190$62,997$25,000
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's Degree183$66,664$24,250
MedicineFirst Professional Degree183$162,139not reported
International BusinessBachelor's Degree175$105,852$25,174
Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree173$134,510not reported
Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsGraduate/Professional Certificate171not reportednot reported
Social WorkMaster's Degree167$53,727not reported
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingGraduate/Professional Certificate10not reportednot reported
Human Resources Management and ServicesMaster's Degree42$122,353not reported
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationFirst Professional Degree108$135,032not reported
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's Degree161$157,539not reported
Management Sciences and Quantitative MethodsMaster's Degree27not reportednot reported
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingDoctoral Degree6not reportednot reported
International BusinessMaster's Degree134$125,621not reported
ChemistryDoctoral Degree27not reportednot reported

Source: College Scorecard field-of-study data.

Who goes here

University of South Carolina-Columbia: 29,820 undergraduates; 19% of students receive Pell grants; 60% of applicants are admitted.

Admission rate

60%

17th percentile among public 4-years

Undergraduates

29,820

94th percentile among public 4-years

Pell share

19%

of undergraduates receive Pell grants

15th percentile among public 4-years

Completion

79%

finish within 150% of normal time

94th percentile among public 4-years

First-generation

20%

parents did not attend college

Median family income

$74,190

93rd percentile among public 4-years

Students by family income

Share of students in each family-income bracket, for students who received federal aid.

  • Under $30k19%
  • $30k–$48k12%
  • $48k–$75k14%
  • $75k–$110k16%
  • Over $110k39%
Show as a table
Students by family income
Family incomeShare of students
Under $30k19%
$30k–$48k12%
$48k–$75k14%
$75k–$110k16%
Over $110k39%

Who Wikipedia remembers

Wikidata records 2,469 people who studied at University of South Carolina-Columbia, most often in sports (35%). That is the archive's memory, not a census.

What the recorded alumni are remembered for

Share of recorded people by field, in a fixed order so schools compare.

Fields of the people the archive recorded for this school, in a fixed order: science & academia 35% (794 people); medicine 0.9% (21 people); law 7.0% (158 people); politics & gov 11% (246 people); business 1.7% (38 people); engineering & tech 1.0% (22 people); writing & journalism 3.1% (71 people); film & stage 1.5% (33 people); music 0.6% (14 people); visual arts 1.1% (24 people); sports 35% (799 people); religion 0.4% (10 people); military 1.8% (41 people). These are shares of people recorded in Wikidata, the archive's memory, not a census of alumni.
Table of the same numbers
Fields of the people the archive recorded for this school (the archive's memory, not a census)
FieldPeople recordedShare
science & academia79435.0%
medicine210.9%
law1587.0%
politics & gov24610.8%
business381.7%
engineering & tech221.0%
writing & journalism713.1%
film & stage331.5%
music140.6%
visual arts241.1%
sports79935.2%
religion100.4%
military411.8%

Source: Wikidata, via the archive's memory (not a census).

most recorded occupationsresearcher (610) · basketball player (488) · politician (233) · American football player (155) · lawyer (144) · university teacher (120) · judge (50) · academic (47)

Women among recorded alumni, by birth decade

Counts reflect who the archive records, not a census.

Share of women among recorded alumni, from 6% for the 1880s to 23% for the 2000s. Decades with fewer than 5 recorded people are not drawn, and 12 decades are marked not reported for women. The line breaks at every decade not drawn.

Counts only people the archive records with a gender. Hollow marks are decades with no women reported or fewer than 5 recorded, not zero.

Table of the same numbers
Recorded alumni by birth decade
BornWomenMenShare women
1760snot reported1not reported
1770snot reported1not reported
1780snot reported12not reported
1790snot reported19not reported
1800snot reported22not reported
1810snot reported19not reported
1820snot reported26not reported
1830snot reported11not reported
1840snot reported11not reported
1850snot reported7not reported
1860snot reported12not reported
1870snot reported16not reported
1880s1156%
1890s1176%
1900s41521%
1910s21910%
1920s63614%
1930s3437%
1940s117812%
1950s239320%
1960s166719%
1970s278424%
1980s2711020%
1990s508736%
2000s175623%

Source: Wikidata, via the archive's memory (not a census).

Wikipedia attention, by month

Wikipedia attention

monthly views

Monthly Wikipedia article views from 2015-07 to 2026-06; peak 42,346 in 2017-03.
Table of the same numbers
Wikipedia article views by month
MonthViews
2026-069,811
2026-0511,697
2026-0412,606
2026-0313,005
2026-029,843
2026-0110,467
2025-1211,709
2025-1113,961
2025-1015,224
2025-0916,984
2025-0825,244
2025-0710,780
2025-0610,837
2025-0511,751
2025-0416,306
2025-0319,454
2025-0211,785
2025-0114,291
2024-1217,222
2024-1119,281
2024-1017,031
2024-0921,054
2024-0817,909
2024-0714,512
2024-0612,305
2024-0515,093
2024-0429,637
2024-0319,967
2024-0216,602
2024-0118,932
2023-1216,503
2023-1117,770
2023-1017,962
2023-0922,508
2023-0818,796
2023-0714,202
2023-0613,050
2023-0515,357
2023-0416,545
2023-0321,747
2023-0216,925
2023-0116,456
2022-1215,993
2022-1121,037
2022-1019,009
2022-0919,945
2022-0817,750
2022-0714,541
2022-0613,094
2022-0512,977
2022-0420,835
2022-0317,328
2022-0215,264
2022-0117,324
2021-1215,742
2021-1114,722
2021-1015,245
2021-0916,705
2021-0815,536
2021-0714,587
2021-0611,425
2021-0515,784
2021-0415,650
2021-0316,728
2021-0212,603
2021-0114,231
2020-1214,355
2020-1116,734
2020-1020,371
2020-0914,443
2020-0814,162
2020-0712,263
2020-0613,292
2020-0518,554
2020-0419,617
2020-0319,420
2020-0220,948
2020-0123,251
2019-1225,573
2019-1124,971
2019-1027,037
2019-0928,898
2019-0824,734
2019-0721,088
2019-0617,501
2019-0520,269
2019-0423,443
2019-0326,219
2019-0218,880
2019-0125,543
2018-1220,751
2018-1124,495
2018-1026,701
2018-0929,409
2018-0820,146
2018-0717,361
2018-0616,591
2018-0518,074
2018-0420,361
2018-0321,027
2018-0216,267
2018-0119,652
2017-1217,062
2017-1121,553
2017-1019,122
2017-0920,937
2017-0817,364
2017-0715,469
2017-0614,655
2017-0516,842
2017-0434,259
2017-0342,346
2017-0216,565
2017-0121,250
2016-1216,787
2016-1120,795
2016-1019,686
2016-0920,218
2016-0818,837
2016-0715,047
2016-0614,119
2016-0515,522
2016-0416,426
2016-0318,862
2016-0217,353
2016-0118,835
2015-1215,716
2015-1119,952
2015-1021,645
2015-0920,235
2015-0816,859
2015-0715,293

Source: Wikimedia pageviews.

Nobel laureates who studied here

  • Robert F. Furchgott Medicine 1998

The portrait wall

Ordered by Wikipedia footprint (language editions).

Show all 14 portraits

Also recorded: Tonique Williams-Darling.

Similar schools

These are the nearest neighbors in the same sector. The list is not an ordering.

Sources & caveats

Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Built 2026-07-17.

not reported
Not reported: suppressed for privacy or never collected. It is not zero, and nothing has been filled in.
Percentiles
A percentile compares this school with others in its own sector (for example, public 4-year schools). It describes position, not quality.
Earnings
Earnings cover students who received federal (Title IV) aid, measured from the year they entered. Students who never received federal aid are not included.
Provenance notes
  • U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard, 2026-06 release. Earnings cover federally aided (Title IV) students only. Suppressed values are null, never imputed.
  • Annual Scorecard files 1996-2026. A null in early years usually means the measure was not yet collected, not zero.
  • Coordinates and locale describe the campus address, not where students live.
  • Wikidata is not an alumni census: a person appears only when volunteer editors record them. Counts measure the archive's memory - access x achievement x documentation - never placement rates or institutional quality.
  • Images are from Wikimedia Commons under free licenses. Render the credit line (artist + license) with every image.

Lead text from Wikipedia (revision 1362119004), licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.