Getting To Know: University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina has become a popular out-of-state destination for New Jersey residents. I did a quick Google and learned that 6% of new freshmen come from New Jersey. The same percentage hail from New York and North Carolina. People from the South refer to this school as USC versus the “other school” in Southern California. Residents of South Carolina, the Palmetto State, and alumni, refer to this school as “Carolina,” versus the “other school to the North.”
I made a Pinterest page and did a data dive for you to learn more about the University of South Carolina. Thanks also go to my friend, Linda Jang, for providing the photos in this post. One thing about that I’ve noticed about southern state universities. They are good at showcasing and protecting their history. I dropped some more of Linda’s photos below.
One point to note: this is actually a small, fairly urban campus with a center that’s about 350 acres in the heart of a downtown. For comparison, it’s just over half the size of the University of Georgia and a third the size of the University of Wisconsin-Madison., schools in the heart of college towns that I have visited.
The university houses about 30% of its students on campus. Greek life is fairly popular, attracting nearly 30% of the men and about 35% of the women. Garnet Living is the online board for off-campus listings. This seems to be a more pedestrian friendly environment than other flagships I’ve visited. But I would suggest considering price and proximity to campus when seeking off-campus housing.
The University of South Carolina has really grown its student body.
In the Fall of 2013 the university had just over 24,000 undergraduates. Just over 15,000 (63%) hailed from South Carolina. By Fall 2025 there were nearly 32,000 undergraduates. Nearly 18,000 (56%) were from in state. The number if resident undergrads grew by just over 2,500. For non-residents it grew by 4,500.
In more recent years those who opted to come usually stayed.
Freshman retention has been 90% of better since 2021. Four-year graduation rates have been very good to excellent. Over two-thirds of each class that entered from 2015 to 2021 graduated in four years. For the Class of 2025 it was an excellent 74%
Is there anything special about academics at the University of South Carolina?
Before doing my research I thought that the University of South Carolina was best known for the Darla Moore School of Business. There’s a lot of academic breadth in the business school as well as abundant opportunities to pursue business minors. However, the top five majors are outside of the business school, including:
- Biological Sciences
- Sport & Entertainment Management
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Nursing
Aside from the business school, which places much emphasis on international business, and hosts about a fifth of the undergrads, I’m most intrigued by the College of Hospitality, Retail & Sport Management. I can understand the interest, given that South Carolina is a major recreation destination and in the heart of a regional that’s every sports oriented. But had I not looked up the numbers, I would have never believed that it had around 3,000 undergrads.
The University of South Carolina has one of the oldest honors colleges in the nation.Approximately 600 freshmen are welcomed to honors each fall. That’s twice as many as Penn State, which is a much larger school.
Interest in the University of South Carolina has grown, but it’s not an ultra-selective school overall.
Over the past ten years acceptance rates have dropped from a high of 72% in 2017 to 62% for 2025. The size of the class grew from 5,200 to 7,300. However, the yield rate, the percentage of accepted students who deposited, dropped from 31% to 23%.
This school has a very early Early Action deadline (October 15th), earlier than other flagships outside of South Carolina that might be in a student’s considered set. Interested in the Honors College? There’s an extra month allowed to submit the essays. Deadline for Regular Decision is December 1st. About half of the class is admitted through Early Action before Christmas. Like Clemson, the University of South Carolina also uses bridge programs. These are called the Gamecock Gateway and the Palmetto Pathway.
The university provides a good breakdown for test scores and grades for the Class of 2030 though I could not find their demographics. Admissions are test optional, though the university considers scores to be Important according to its 2025-26 Common Data Set. Looking at the breakdown mentioned before, I believe that scores will be important for the Honors College as well as the Capstone Scholars programs.
The business school is slightly more selective, accepting just under half of freshman applicants according to Poets & Quants for Undergrads. There are two pathways to enter Nursing, a pre-nursing path and Smart Start for students admitted to the Honors College.
Those who come here are likely to have some large classes. Sixteen percent of all classes taught during the 2024-25 academic year had over 50 students. The university reports a student-faculty ratio of 19 to 1, high for a state university.
Non-resident costs are fairly high for a state university but lower than schools like Penn State..
The estimated cost of attendance for a South Carolina resident is just under $41,000. For a non-resident it’s approximately $66,000. Resident tuition charges have remained the same for eight consecutive years. Those who are serious about attending the University of South Carolina and have cost concerns should check out the resident and non-resident scholarships to see if they qualify. Residents also benefit from the Gamecock Guarantee, which appears to be a “last dollar in” program for eligible students.
Just over half of the Class of 2025 had to borrow to cover educational costs. The average student loan indebtedness for those who borrowed was just over $34,000. The maximum that a student can borrow through over four years through the Federal Student Loan Program is $27,000. Average indebtedness was high because 14% of the class had to take out private loans that averaged over $53,000.
The university does a good job selling its city.
Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, has approximately 145,000 residents. The metro area has close to 900,000 Known as the Soda City, Columbia is about 90 minutes from Charlotte’s international airport and two hours from South Carolina beaches. The city has its own international airport as well. Those who enjoy spring and summer outdoor recreation will love Columbia.
South Carolina is in the SEC-best known for baseball and women’s basketball.
The university provides a great explanation about why the Gamecock, a fighting bird, is the mascot and garnet (vs. another shade of red) and black are the school colors. Williams-Bryce Stadium will not disappoint for atmosphere on football game days. The downside is that students pay a mandatory athletic fee that brings the cost to attend football games alone to over $400 for the season.
The Gamecocks longest sports rivalry is with in-state rival Clemson, who plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, since 2000 Clemson has dominated the football rivalry winning 16 times. The Gamecocks have not been a major power in college football. although they produced a Heisman Trophy winner, George Rogers, later the first pick of the 1981 NFL Draft. Rogers would be drafted by the New Orleans Saints and go on to earn a Super Bowl ring after being traded to the Washington Redskins. The Gamecocks have also produced a second top overall pick, Jadaveon Clowney (2014), who is now entering his 13th NFL season, returning to the Houston Texans, the team that originally drafted him. Since 2000 the Gamecocks have won one division title in the SEC and played in 17 bowl games, winning nine.
However, South Carolina is really more of a baseball and women’s basketball school. The baseball Gamecocks have produced one of the best programs in the country, winning national championships in 2010 and 2011, making 20 NCAA Tournament appearances since 2000. The women’s basketball program has also been one of the most dominant. They have won three NCAA titles since 2017 and made five appearances in the Final Four since 2015. Under Hall of Fame coach Dawn Staley, South Carolina has also led the country in home attendance, averaging over 16,000 fans per game, more than most NBA and men’s D-1 teams do over the course of a season. The women out-drew the men by about 6,000 fans per game.
Conclusions
I can see why New Jersey residents like the University of South Carolina. It’s less selective than the flagships in neighboring states, and it also costs a little less than some other popular out-of-state flagship destinations. It also delivers on the fun that many have come to expect from a southern flagship state university. The Gamecocks do not dominate college football like the Alabama Crimson Tide or the Georgia Bulldogs. However, the game day experience certainly appears to be no less festive.
Report Card: University of South Carolina
- Four-Year/Six-Year Graduation Rates: A/A
- Freshman Retention: A
- Costs: B
- Curriculum: A
- Community: A
- Comforts: B
- Connections: A (South Carolina/North Carolina/Atlanta Metro area)/B (elsewhere)
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