Columbia, South Carolina · Public · 4-year · Midsize city
Overview
University of South Carolina-Columbia is a public four-year institution based in Columbia, South Carolina. Its campus is in a midsize city. Fall 2024 enrollment was 38,532, made up of 30,187 undergraduates and 8,345 graduate students. It holds the Carnegie R1 designation for very high research activity. It is part of University of South Carolina.
University of South Carolina-Columbia offers certificates, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and professional doctorates across 179 programs. Its largest programs by number of graduates are Finance, Experimental Psychology, and Marketing. It awarded 10,077 degrees and certificates in 2024-25. 21 of its programs can be completed entirely online.
92% of full-time first-year students return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio is 19 to 1.
Key figures
38,532
Students enrolled
92%
First-year retention
10,077
Degrees and certificates awarded, 2024-25
179
Programs and majors
19:1
Student-to-faculty ratio
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Delivery modes
CampusOnlineHybrid
Program levels
CertificateAssociateBachelorMasterPhDProfessional
Programs and majors offered 179
Graduate counts are degrees and certificates awarded in each program between July 2024 and June 2025. Largest fields are listed first.
Retention is for students who started in fall 2023 and returned in fall 2024.
First-year retention, full-time students
92%
First-year retention, part-time students
38%
Student-to-faculty ratio
19:1
Degrees and certificates awarded
Awards conferred between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Bachelor's degrees
6,743
Master's degrees
1,654
Doctoral degrees (research)
417
Professional doctorates
508
Certificates under 1 year
270
Postbaccalaureate certificates
397
Post-master's certificates
88
Enrollment
Students, fall 2024
38,532
Undergraduates, fall 2024
30,187
Graduate students, fall 2024
8,345
Full-time, fall 2024
91%
Students over the full 2024-25 year
41,457
Undergraduates, 2024-25
31,742
Graduate students, 2024-25
9,715
Full-time, 2024-25
87%
Size category
20,000 students or more
Student body
Share of all students enrolled during 2024-25. Small groups can round to zero and are not listed.
Women
60%
Men
40%
White
68%
Hispanic or Latino
6%
Black or African American
11%
Asian
4%
Two or more races
4%
International (U.S. nonresident)
5%
Race or ethnicity unknown
2%
Online and flexible learning
Distance education in 2024-25.
Programs that can be completed fully online
21
Programs with a fully online option
19
Online undergraduate programs
Yes
Online graduate programs
Yes
Students studying fully online
11%
Students taking some online courses
70%
Weekend or evening classes
Yes
Campus and services
Setting
Midsize city
Academic calendar
Semester
Part of
University of South Carolina
Carnegie classification
Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity
Research designation
Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production
Athletic association
NCAA
Athletic conference
Southeastern Conference
President
Michael Amiridis
Services and opportunities
Study abroad, ROTC, Teacher certification, Academic and career counseling, Student employment services, Job placement for graduates, On-campus day care, Accepts AP credit
For veterans and service members
Yellow Ribbon Program, Credit for military training, Dedicated veterans contact, Student veteran organization