First-year deadlines, 2026–27
| Plan | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Early action Apply early, hear early, not binding. | October 15, 2026 |
| Regular decision The standard deadline, with answers in spring. Not binding. | December 1, 2026 |
Plans are listed in calendar order. What the plans mean
Source: sc.edu · checked September 26, 2026
What families actually pay
Average yearly net price after grants, in-state students, by family income
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard · data snapshot October 2, 2026
AP credit
Most-taken exams, lowest score that earns credit| Exam | Min score | University of South Carolina-Columbia course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 3 | MATH 141 | |
| Calculus BC | 3 | MATH 141 and 142 | |
| Biology | 3 | BIOL 101 and 101L 4, 5 BIOL 101, 101L, 102 and 102L | |
| Chemistry | 3 | CHEM 111 and 111L 4, 5 CHEM 111, 111L, 112 and 112L | |
| United States History | 3 | HIST 111 4, 5 HIST 111 and 112 | |
| Psychology | 3 | PSYC 101 | |
| Statistics | 3 | STAT 201 if exam taken through December 2010…STAT 201 if exam taken through December 2010; STAT 110 if exam taken January 2011 or later 5 STAT 201 if exam taken through December 2010; STAT 110 and STAT 201 if exam taken January 2011 to December 2015; STAT 110 and STAT 206 if exam taken January 2016 or later | |
| Computer Science A | 3 | CSCE 145 |
Show all 37 exams and every score level
| Exam | Min score | Course | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calculus AB | 3 | MATH 141 | |
| Calculus BC | 3 | MATH 141 and 142 | |
| Biology | 3 | BIOL 101 and 101L 4, 5 BIOL 101, 101L, 102 and 102L | |
| Chemistry | 3 | CHEM 111 and 111L 4, 5 CHEM 111, 111L, 112 and 112L | |
| United States History | 3 | HIST 111 4, 5 HIST 111 and 112 | |
| Psychology | 3 | PSYC 101 | |
| Statistics | 3 | STAT 201 if exam taken through December 2010…STAT 201 if exam taken through December 2010; STAT 110 if exam taken January 2011 or later 5 STAT 201 if exam taken through December 2010; STAT 110 and STAT 201 if exam taken January 2011 to December 2015; STAT 110 and STAT 206 if exam taken January 2016 or later | |
| Computer Science A | 3 | CSCE 145 | |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | ECON 222 | |
| Microeconomics | 3 | ECON 221 | |
| World History: Modern | 3 | HUMA 002T**** | |
| Environmental Science | 3 | ENVR 101 & ENVR 101L | |
| European History | 3 | HIST 101 4, 5 HIST 101 and 102 | |
| Human Geography | 3 | GEOG 210 | |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | POLI 201 | |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | CSCE 101 | |
| Art History | 3 | ARTE 101 4 ARTH 105 | |
| Music Theory | 3 | MUSC 114 4 MUSC 117 | |
| African American Studies | 3 | AFAM 201 | |
| Art Studio, 2-D | 3 | ARTS 103 | |
| Art Studio, 3-D | 3 | ARTS 104 | |
| Art Studio, Drawing | 3 | ARTS 111 | |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | CHIN 121 4, 5 CHIN 121 and 122 | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | POLI 103C | |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | GERM 121 4, 5 GERM 121 and 122 | |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | ITAL 121 4, 5 ITAL 121 and 122 | |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | JAPA 121 4, 5 JAPA 121 and 122 | |
| Latin | 3 | LATN 121 and 122 4 LATN 301 | |
| Physics B (DISCONTINUED) | 3 | PHYS 201 and 201L 4, 5 PHYS 201, 201L, 202 and 202L | |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | PHYS 202 and 202L 4, 5 PHYS 212 and 212L | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | PHYS 201 and 201L 4, 5 PHYS 211 and 211L | |
| Physics I | 3 | PHYS 201 and 201L | |
| Physics II | 3 | PHYS 202 and 202L | |
| Precalculus | 3 | MATH 111 4, 5 MATH 115 | |
| Research Course | 3 | UNEL 002T | |
| Seminar Course | 3 | UELC 002T | |
| Spanish Language OR Spanish Literature | 3 | SPAN 121 4, 5 (on either or both) SPAN 121 and 122 |
Source: sc.edu · checked September 19, 2026
Biggest majors
| Major | Graduates |
|---|---|
| Public Health | 402 |
| Finance | 379 |
| Biology/Biological Sciences | 376 |
| Experimental Psychology | 369 |
| Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse | 260 |
| Sport and Fitness Administration/Management | 248 |
| Marketing/Marketing Management | 239 |
| Political Science and Government | 201 |
Show the other 77 majors
| Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration | 199 |
| Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology | 173 |
| Retailing and Retail Operations | 147 |
| International Business/Trade/Commerce | 135 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | 133 |
| Management Science | 131 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 124 |
| Business Administration and Management | 122 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | 119 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies | 108 |
| Mass Communication/Media Studies | 89 |
| Accounting | 86 |
| Advertising | 81 |
| Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other | 76 |
| Information Technology | 76 |
| Elementary Education and Teaching | 75 |
| Public Relations/Image Management | 73 |
| Civil Engineering | 72 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration, Other | 72 |
| English Language and Literature | 70 |
| Economics | 63 |
| History | 59 |
| Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia | 58 |
| Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 48 |
| Insurance | 48 |
| Early Childhood Education and Teaching | 46 |
| Fine/Studio Arts | 43 |
| Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management | 42 |
| Environmental Studies | 40 |
| Music | 39 |
| Chemical Engineering | 38 |
| Mathematics | 37 |
| Business/Managerial Economics | 37 |
| Electrical and Electronics Engineering | 37 |
| Broadcast Journalism | 36 |
| Marine Biology and Biological Oceanography | 36 |
| Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering | 34 |
| Computer Engineering | 34 |
| Social Work | 33 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | 30 |
| Real Estate | 30 |
| Environmental Science | 30 |
| Chemistry | 30 |
| Anthropology | 28 |
| International Relations and Affairs | 28 |
| Information Science/Studies | 27 |
| Tourism and Travel Services Management | 24 |
| Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching | 23 |
| Area Studies, Other | 22 |
| Neuroscience | 20 |
| Journalism | 19 |
| Statistics | 17 |
| Geography | 17 |
| Sociology | 16 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other | 15 |
| Cardiovascular Technology/Technologist | 14 |
| Dance | 13 |
| Art Teacher Education | 11 |
| Physical Education Teaching and Coaching | 10 |
| Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts | 10 |
| Geology/Earth Science | 9 |
| Music Management | 9 |
| Philosophy | 8 |
| Spanish Language and Literature | 7 |
| Film/Cinema/Media Studies | 6 |
| Art History, Criticism and Conservation | 5 |
| Physics | 5 |
| Russian Language and Literature | 5 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | 4 |
| Cybersecurity Defense Strategy/Policy | 3 |
| French Language and Literature | 3 |
| Foreign Languages and Literatures | 3 |
| Women's Studies | 3 |
| Chinese Studies | 3 |
| African-American/Black Studies | 2 |
| Comparative Literature | 1 |
| Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | 1 |
Bachelor’s graduates, first major, most recent year · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education, IPEDS · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Ranked programs
Where University of South Carolina-Columbia ranks in the top 25 on our top-programs lists, best rank first. How we rank programs
- #5 for International businessof 50 colleges
- #9 for Radiologic technologyof 50 colleges
- #16 for Real estateof 38 colleges
- #19 for Pre-pharmacyof 50 colleges
- #21 for Pre-physician assistantof 50 colleges
- #25 for Hospitality managementof 50 colleges
Scholarships
Amounts and eligibility change; check the college’s page for current details.
Sports and campus life
Men’s varsity · NCAA Division I, SEC
Baseball, Basketball, Football, Golf, Soccer, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Women’s varsity · NCAA Division I, SEC
Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Equestrian, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming and Diving (combined), Tennis, Track and Field and Cross Country (combined), Volleyball
ROTC
Air Force, Army, Navy
Faith groups
Cru, Hillel, InterVarsity, Newman Connection, Sigma Alpha Omega
Also
Honors college, Study abroad
Greek life
30% of men in fraternities · 36% of women in sororities · 33% of undergraduates overall (Common Data Set 2022–23)
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education athletics data (EADA), Common Data Set (Greek life), intervarsity.org · checked September 4, 2026 · data snapshot October 2, 2026
The place
Setting
City, midsize
Federal locale classification
Metro area
Columbia, SC
870,193 people
Big-city metro (1 million+)
No
More about the place
Nearest airport
Columbia Metro (CAE)
Nearest hub airport
Charlotte/Douglas International (CLT)
Walkability
EPA walkability index 17.0 of 20
Elevation
310 ft
Time zone
Eastern
January low
37°F
July high
96°F
Annual snowfall
0.2 in
Days at 90°F or higher
108 per year
One-bedroom fair market rent
$1,510 per month
Sources: U.S. Dept. of Education (IPEDS locale), U.S. Census metro estimates, NOAA climate normals, HUD fair market rents, EPA walkability · data snapshot October 2, 2026
Colleges nearby
- Allen University1 mi
- Benedict College1 mi
- Columbia College3 mi
- Columbia International University6 mi
- Claflin University36 mi
- South Carolina State University36 mi
Straight-line distance between campuses
Similar colleges
Public, city campus, NCAA Division I, similar size
- California State University-Sacramento28,268 students
- The University of Tennessee-Knoxville28,883 students
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- University of Arkansas27,472 students
- University of California-Irvine29,503 students
- Weber State University29,534 students