University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
University of South Carolina Featured Rankings
- #1 Online Bachelor’s in Elementary Education
- #1 South Carolina's Best Online Colleges 2026
- #1 South Carolina's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #1 Best Public Colleges in South Carolina
- #1 Best Grad Schools in South Carolina
- #1 Best Colleges in South Carolina
- #1 Most Affordable Colleges in South Carolina
- #1 Best Research Universities in South Carolina 2026
- #1 Best Online Bachelor's in Cybersecurity in South Carolina
- #2 Online Bachelor’s in Human Services
- #2 15 Colleges with the Happiest Freshmen
- #2 Fastest Online Bachelor's of Business
- #2 Online Bachelor’s in Sociology
- #2 Online Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership
- #2 Online Bachelor’s in Public Health
- #3 Online Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity
- #3 Online Bachelor's in Computer Science
- #3 Online Bachelor's in Accounting
- #3 Online Bachelor’s in Psychology
- #3 Online Bachelor's in Hospitality
- #3 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #4 Online Bachelor’s in Education
- #5 Online Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Humanities
- #6 20 Best Online Master's of Speech Pathology Degree Programs
- #6 Best Online RN-to-BSN
- #7 20 Fastest Online Master's of Nursing Degree Programs
- #7 Online Bachelor’s in Business Administration
- #7 Online Bachelor’s in Communications
- #7 Online Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice
- #8 The Most Influential Colleges in Track & Field Today
- #9 Best Online Colleges
- #10 Accelerated Online Doctorate of Computer Science
- #11 Sociology Colleges and Universities
About University of South Carolina
According to Wikipedia, The University of South Carolina is a public research university in Columbia, South Carolina. 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 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.
University of South Carolina's Online Degrees
BS in Hospitality Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Organizational Leadership
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Business Administration
Degree Concentrations
- Accounting
- Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Information Management And Systems
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Applied Computer Science
Degree Concentrations
- Cybersecurity
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Elementary Educational Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Special Education
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Human Services
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Liberal Studies
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Sociology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Communication
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Health Informatics
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BSN in Nursing Rn To Bsn
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Public Health
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Psychology
Degree Concentrations
- Aiken
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BA in Psychology
Degree Concentrations
- Beaufort
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
BS in Engineering Technology Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: 4 years
- Format: Fully online
University of South Carolina Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46,682 | 60% | 92% | 79% | 1270 | 29 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does University of South Carolina Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $12,688 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $13,832 |
| 30K - 48K | $14,286 |
| 48K - 75K | $17,357 |
| 75K - 110K | $23,410 |
| 110K+ | $28,504 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do University of South Carolina Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former University of South Carolina students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $69,024 a year, and 94% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
University of South Carolina's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 39,611 | 30,016 | 9,595 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is University of South Carolina?
University of South Carolina is located at Columbia-Campus, Columbia, SC 29208.
How Safe is University of South Carolina?
Relative to its enrollment, University of South Carolina has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.05%. Columbia has a violent crime rate of 0.77% and a property crime rate of 3.27%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is University of South Carolina Known For?
University of South Carolina is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Law
- History
- Physics
- Business
- Education
- Nursing
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- Chemistry
- Medical
- Economics
- Political Science
- Earth Sciences
- Anthropology
- Communications
- Computer Science
- Social Work
- Literature
- Engineering
- Biology
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
University of South Carolina's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much University of South Carolina's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
University of South Carolina ranks #75 in the U.S. and #222 worldwide for influence in Law.
University of South Carolina ranks #79 in the U.S. and #195 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #82 in the U.S. and #328 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #85 in the U.S. and #215 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #86 in the U.S. and #281 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #88 in the U.S. and #189 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #92 in the U.S. and #344 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #93 in the U.S. and #131 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #95 in the U.S. and #439 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #103 in the U.S. and #295 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #107 in the U.S. and #426 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #112 in the U.S. and #405 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #114 in the U.S. and #446 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #115 in the U.S. and #320 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #119 in the U.S. and #391 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #123 in the U.S. and #451 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #125 in the U.S. and #282 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #136 in the U.S. and #377 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #139 in the U.S. and #637 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #148 in the U.S. and #498 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #173 in the U.S. and #583 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #190 in the U.S. and #454 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #202 in the U.S. and #890 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesUniversity of South Carolina ranks #205 in the U.S. and #759 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWho Are University of South Carolina's Most Influential Alumni?
University of South Carolina's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and History. Here are some of University of South Carolina's most famous alumni:
- Jasper Johns
- An American painter and sculptor .
- J. Marion Sims
- An American physician and gynecologist .
- Robert F. Furchgott
- An American biochemist .
- R. Adam Engle
- An American lawyer.
- Judy Clarke
- An American lawyer.
- Wade Hampton III
- An American politician .
- Joseph Bernardin
- A Catholic cardinal.
- Richard W. Rahn
- An American economist.
- Jerome Busemeyer
- A Psychologist.
- Jack Weatherford
- An American anthropologist.
- Charles Frazier
- An American novelist.
- Alex English
- An American basketball player/coach.
Who Are University of South Carolina's Most Influential Faculty?
University of South Carolina's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Nursing, and History. Here are some of University of South Carolina's most famous faculty:
- Greg Street
- An American video game designer.
- Dawn Staley
- An American basketball player and coach .
- Katie Smith
- An American basketball player and coach.
- Joseph T. DiPiro
- An American pharmacy professor.
- Sean Brock
- An American chef.
- Will Muschamp
- An American football player, coach.
- Chamok Hasan
- A Bangladeshi author, online educator.
- Alexis Hornbuckle
- An American basketball player, coach.
- Jo Grady
- A British trade union leader and academic .
- Ray McManus
- An American poet.
- Maylana Martin
- An American basketball player-coach.
- Claudia Benitez-Nelson
- A Chemical oceanographer and researcher.
