University in United States
Columbia, SC, United States
University profile
The University of South Carolina is a public research university in Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, and the state's flagship university. Founded in 1801, it is the lead institution of the University of South Carolina System, which has eight campuses in 20 locations and serves more than 55,000 students. The Carnegie Foundation classifies it as an R1 university for very high research activity, and it also holds the Elective Community Engagement Classification.
Teaching is organised in 15 colleges and schools: the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, the Darla Moore School of Business, the College of Education, the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing, the Graduate School, the College of Hospitality, Retail and Sport Management, the College of Information and Communications, the Joseph F. Rice School of Law, the Floyd School of Medicine, the School of Medicine Greenville, the School of Music, the College of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy, the Arnold School of Public Health and the College of Social Work, together with the South Carolina Honors College. More than 350 degree programmes run from bachelor's to doctorate, with accelerated and combination degrees, specialisations and professional certificates.
Recognised strengths include international business, where the international business major has been ranked first by U.S. News & World Report for 27 straight years and the International MBA has been ranked first for 12 consecutive years; the health sciences, with nationally ranked programmes in nursing, pharmacy, public health and clinical psychology; and sport science. The South Carolina Honors College combines the resources of a research university with the feel of a small liberal arts college, and offers more than 500 courses.
The Columbia campus is centred on the historic Horseshoe, where the South Caroliniana Library, the nation's oldest freestanding college library, and the McKissick Museum are located. The library system also includes Thomas Cooper Library, Ernest F. Hollings Special Collections Library, the Law Library with more than 500,000 volumes and the Music Library. More than 7,000 trees across the campus represent about 80 species.
Fall 2025 systemwide enrolment was 58,906 students: 49,094 undergraduates, 7,965 graduate students and 1,847 professional students. The Graduate School offers more than 230 graduate degree programmes to about 6,400 graduate students from 115 countries. International applicants may study English through English Programs for Internationals (EPI), and the International Accelerator Program is a one-year transition programme leading to a four-year degree at the university. The university is test-optional for freshman admission through the 2027 terms.
Undergraduate estimated direct costs: South Carolina resident total $31,602 (tuition $12,288, technology fee $400, weighted average program fee $1,580, housing $11,432, food $5,902); nonresident total $57,412 (tuition $38,098, technology fee $400, weighted average program fee $1,580, housing $11,432, food $5,902). The Board of Trustees sets tuition each July.
All freshmen who apply by December 1 are automatically considered for general university merit scholarships. Nonresidents may receive one general award (plus the Provost Scholars Award). Top Scholar awards: Stamps (about $25,810 a year plus in-state tuition rate), McNair ($24,000 a year plus in-state tuition rate) and Horseshoe ($11,000 a year plus in-state tuition rate), with 45 awarded each year to applicants who also submit the Honors College application by November 15. Academic Scholar Award packages range from $6,500 to $30,000 a year ($26,000 to $120,000 over four years). National Merit Finalists naming USC first choice receive the Provost Scholars Award, $6,000 a year. Awards are made by mid-March and accepted with a $200 deposit by May 1. See scholarships for nonresidents.
Federal student aid and need-based grants are requested through the FAFSA (school code 003448), which opens October 1 with an April 1 deadline. Nearly 90% of students receive some form of financial aid. The Gamecock Guarantee covers undergraduate tuition, the technology fee and average program fees for eligible first-generation, low-income South Carolina residents. See Financial Aid and Scholarships.
About 40% of graduate students hold assistantships, which provide a tuition reduction and stipend. The Presidential Fellowship provides $48,000 over eight semesters for doctoral students and $30,000 over five semesters for MFA students. Funding for international graduate applicants is administered by the individual programmes. See assistantships and Presidential Fellowship.
Top Scholar Awards for Nonresident Freshmen (Stamps, McNair and Horseshoe Scholars) →
Presidential Fellowship (Graduate School) →
Browse the scholarships listed for University of South Carolina and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for University of South Carolina →Freshmen apply with the USC Application or the Common App. The nonrefundable application fee is $70. Admission is based primarily on academic performance: grades in core classes, class standing or rank where available, and rigor of coursework. Applicants are expected to complete the college-preparatory core required by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education: English 4 units, mathematics 4 units (Algebra I and II, Geometry and a fourth higher-level unit), laboratory science 3 units, social studies 3 units, a world language 2 units in the same language, fine arts 1 unit and academic electives 2 units. A one-page essay and activities list are part of the application.
The university is test-optional through the fall, spring and summer 2027 terms: SAT or ACT scores are not required for admission, the Honors College or merit scholarships. Applicants choose on the application whether scores are considered; scores that are submitted are superscored. SAT code 5818, ACT code 3880.
Course credit may be earned through Cambridge International A Level, Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, DANTES and exams from Ofqual-recognised AS/A Level boards such as Cambridge International, Oxford International AQA and Pearson Edexcel.
High school graduates who have attempted college coursework at a regionally accredited institution apply as transfers; the application fee is $70. A cumulative GPA of at least 2.25 on a 4.00 scale is required, and several colleges and programmes require higher. Applicants with fewer than 30 semester hours must also meet freshman requirements. Application deadlines for USC Columbia majors: spring November 1, summer May 1, fall July 1 (business majors May 1 for summer and fall).
International freshmen apply by the same deadlines and pay a nonrefundable $100 application fee. Official transcripts from all secondary schools are required, with certified English translations where needed. Minimum English proficiency scores: TOEFL iBT 77, TOEFL paper-based 550, IELTS 6.5, PTE 53, Duolingo 115, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 560, or ACT English 22. Applicants from countries where the primary language of instruction is English, including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Jamaica, Canada (except Quebec residents), the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand among others, and graduates of U.S. high schools are exempt. Students who do not meet the minimum may apply for conditional admission with English Programs for Internationals. Questions: [email protected].
Applicants need a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (or international equivalent), transcripts from all institutions attended, test scores and letters of recommendation as each programme requires, and the application fee ($50 from August 1, 2026). International credentials must be evaluated course by course by a NACES member. International applicants must submit English proficiency scores unless they are from a country where English is an official language or earned a degree in one; programmes set their own deadlines and requirements. The Moore School of Business, College of Nursing and many Arnold School of Public Health programmes use their own applications, and law, medicine and pharmacy have separate professional applications.
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