South Carolina: the complete school report for parents

What does South Carolina actually weigh in admissions?

South Carolina rates 1 of the 18 factors "Very Important": GPA. It does not consider 7 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is South Carolina's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

76% of enrolled students had a 3.50 GPA or above. The average was 3.68 on a 4 scale, reported for 97.61% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

What is the South Carolina waitlist really like?

South Carolina offered a place on its waiting list to 8,805 applicants and 3,395 accepted one. 293 were ultimately admitted. That is 8.6% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

South Carolina admitted 65.2% of 4,088 transfer applicants, against 56.5% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

South Carolina reports its early rounds below.

What does my child need to take in high school?

South Carolina requires 20 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.

What will South Carolina actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $22,811 a year at South Carolina after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $12,288. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 61% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 2,944 merit awards averaging $4,353 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

What families at each income level actually paid:

52% of South Carolina graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $34,211 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $228 a month in repayment. South Carolina’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from South Carolina pay off?

Graduates earn a median $62,177 ten years after entering, and $50,621 at six years. 84% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 67% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$105,852 to $40,191, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at South Carolina:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

92% of first-years return for a second year. 71% graduate within four years and 79% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 69.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 82.0% of everyone else, a gap of 13.0 points.

How big are the classes?

34% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 5% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 19:1, and 75% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

What is life at South Carolina like?

31,845 undergraduates, 45% of first-years from out of state. 95.8% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 31.36% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 26.79% of men join a fraternity and 34.1% of women a sorority. 20% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $62,188.

What this means for your student

• 76% of enrolled students are at a 3.50 GPA or above, averaging 3.68. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 293 of 3,395 who waited were admitted, about 9%.
• Its highest-earning major returns $105,852 five years out against $40,191 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about South Carolina

Other schools families compare with South Carolina

• NC State University | NC State | N C State University | N C State | NCSU
  Admissions report · 39.5% admit rate
• Ole Miss
  Admissions report · 97.4% admit rate
• Oklahoma State University-Main Campus
  Admissions report · 73.7% admit rate
• Iowa
  Admissions report · 79.9% admit rate
• ISU
  Admissions report · 87.9% admit rate
• University of Montana
  Admissions report · 95.2% admit rate