University of South Carolina-Columbia (UofSC) vs U of A

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Columbia, South Carolina, and Tucson, Arizona, home to the esteemed University of South Carolina-Columbia and the University of Arizona, respectively. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique locations, student demographics, and academic strengths. Dive into our comprehensive comparison table to uncover the nuances that set these universities apart. Discover the differences in acceptance rates, tuition fees, popular majors, student body diversity, and graduation outcomes. Whether you're drawn to the allure of the Palmetto State or captivated by the Sonoran Desert's beauty, this side-by-side analysis will guide you towards finding the ideal academic haven that aligns with your aspirations and goals.

	University of Arizona	University of South Carolina-Columbia
Overview
Location	Tucson, Arizona	Columbia, South Carolina
Campus setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	84.0%	87.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	87.3%	61.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $85	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1120 - 1370	1150 - 1360
ACT range	21 - 29	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	13.0%	38.0%
Students submitting ACT score	19.0%	26.0%
Total number of applicants	48,065	42,045
Total number of admissions given out	41,946	25,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll	8,436	6,174
Yield rate	20.1%	23.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $30,136 Out of state: $54,658	In state: $29,398 Out of state: $50,638
Average net price	$17,242	$21,898
Tuition	In state: $11,299 Out of state: $35,821	In state: $12,288 Out of state: $33,528
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,400 Meal plan: $5,050	Room/dormitory: $7,010 Meal plan: $3,980
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	92.0% Average amount $13,790	93.0% Average amount $7,055
Students receiving federal student loan	24.0% Average amount $4,845	48.0% Average amount $5,340
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $20,814	10.0% Average amount $17,657

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	37,434 Men 44.3% Women 55.7%	26,864 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	10,840 Men 44.5% Women 55.5%	8,607 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	48.8%	N/A
International students	6.5%	4.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Large	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	7,036	9,377
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Arizona California Washington Illinois Colorado	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Engineering Education Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Health Professions Education Engineering Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Higher Learning Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	64.3%	78.2%
Dropout rate	14.3%	5.3%
Transferred out	19.6%	16.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Physics (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $88,673 Year 2: $123,527 Year 3: $127,192 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $110,426 Year 2: $117,473 Year 3: $122,962 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $110,630 Year 2: $103,746 Year 3: $104,908 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $100,116 Year 2: $83,388 Year 3: $98,461 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $91,677 Year 2: $92,743 Year 3: $98,271 Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $96,308 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $89,806 Year 2: $75,518 Year 3: $89,884 Mining and Mineral Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $76,657 Year 2: $73,035 Year 3: $87,557 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,627 Year 2: $79,199 Year 3: $86,387 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $77,284 Year 2: $74,953 Year 3: $83,742	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $102,315 Year 2: $132,531 Year 3: $124,225 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $103,612 Year 2: $114,145 Year 3: $117,580 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $104,414 Year 2: $95,102 Year 3: $107,403 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,505 Year 2: $91,986 Year 3: $97,806 International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,202 Year 2: $90,049 Year 3: $93,323 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,370 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $79,846 Public Health (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $77,526 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,229 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $76,713 International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,365 Year 2: $70,776 Year 3: $73,730 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,632 Year 2: $66,670 Year 3: $72,857

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