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University of South Carolina Aiken: Quad facing Etherredge
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Regional university

University of South Carolina Aiken

Aiken, SC · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $11,641 a year

Median debt at graduation: $24,275 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Academic Excellence

B-Academic Excellence: B- (grade B-): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.40%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.67%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,120 · ACT 22.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,925

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$8,987
$30,001–$48,000$8,435
$48,001–$75,000$11,440
$75,001–$110,000$16,046
Over $110,000$17,502

Full cost of attendance before aid: $21,540 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
3,109
Men and women
Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Men 39% · Women 61%
First-generation students
Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition
33%
First-year students from another state
Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS)
11%
Total students3,855
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$11,641
Cost of attendance (per year)$21,540
Median federal debt at graduation$24,275
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
40%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
42%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
42%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard)
52%
First-year retention67%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$45,603
Admission rate79%
Application fee
Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS)
$45
Students receiving Pell grants39%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 980–1220ACT 19–26
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1120
SAT reading & writing510–620
SAT math470–600
ACT composite19–26
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Good · Top 40% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$78,231
Business administration$58,908
Communication studies$58,203
Sociology$49,530
Biology$45,363
Psychology$45,163
Teacher education$43,728
Kinesiology and exercise science$43,178
English$38,980
Fine arts$31,931

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied mathematics, Broadcasting, Chemistry, Computing and information science, Geology and earth science, History, Industrial Engineering, Liberal arts, Mechanical engineering, Music, Political science, Secondary education, Special education, Theatre, Writing and rhetoric.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Business22%
Health professions19%
Communication8%
Psychology8%
Education8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingSuburb
Part-time undergraduates13%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older18%
On-campus room and board (per year)$9,182
SportsNCAA Division II · Peach Belt Conference
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member16 to 1
Faculty who are full-time61%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Endowment per student$10,745Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS)
Dorm spaceFor about 32% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS)
Nearest airport with scheduled flightsCharleston International Airport (CHS)About 110 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports)
Town population32,5212020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau)
Nearest city of 250,000 people or moreCharlotteAbout 125 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau)
Average temperature in January44°F1991–2020 normal, from Graniteville 1.2 Ne, SC, about 1 miles away (NOAA)
Average temperature in July80°F1991–2020 normal, from Graniteville 1.2 Ne, SC, about 1 miles away (NOAA)

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is University of South Carolina Aiken’s Compass Score?
Solid (grade C+). The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does University of South Carolina Aiken cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $11,641 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into University of South Carolina Aiken?
University of South Carolina Aiken admitted 79% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do University of South Carolina Aiken’s graduates do?
40% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $45,603; the median federal debt at graduation is $24,275.

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About this school’s data
  • IPEDS unit ID 218645
  • Carnegie classification: Master's university (small programs)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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