University of South Carolina

University of South Carolina is a public institution that was founded in 1801. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 27,343 (fall 2022), and the campus size is 444 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of South Carolina's ranking in the 2024 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, #124. Its in-state tuition and fees are $12,688; out-of-state tuition and fees are $33,928.

The University of South Carolina eases its students into the transition to college life, no matter what year they begin to attend. For freshmen, there is University 101, a first-year program pioneered by the school to help students adjust. First-year students must live on campus. For students transferring in from technical schools, the University of South Carolina offers the Bridge Program, an academic support system. The school sports teams, the Gamecocks, compete in the NCAA Divsion I Southeastern Conference. The University of South Carolina’s college town, Columbia, boasts a variety of entertainment, nightlife and outdoor options for students to check out after class. Other college towns, including Charlotte, North Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina, are both less than two hours away.

The University of South Carolina also offers graduate programs, including the well-regarded Darla Moore School of Business, a law school, medical school, engineering school and College of Education. The Columbia campus is the flagship location of the University of South Carolina system, and the school runs a variety of research centers, including Center for GIS and Remote Sensing, the Center for Colon Cancer Research and the Center for Digital Humanities. The band Hootie and the Blowfish was started at the University of South Carolina when its members were students. Other notable alumni include professional basketball player A'ja Wilson and the founder of XM Satellite Radio, Gary Parsons.