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Aiken , SC
The University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) is a public university located in Aiken, South Carolina. With its roots dating back to 1961, USCA has a long-standing commitment to academic excellence and community engagement. The university offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs across various disciplines, including business, sciences, education, humanities, and social sciences.
USCA prides itself on providing a supportive and nurturing environment for its students, with small class sizes that promote personalized attention from dedicated faculty members. The university is known for its rigorous academic programs that prepare students for successful careers or further education. Additionally, USCA places a strong emphasis on experiential learning opportunities, such as internships, research projects, and community service, allowing students to apply their knowledge and gain real-world experience.
Beyond academics, USCA offers a vibrant campus life with a variety of student organizations, intramural sports, and cultural events. The university's beautiful campus provides state-of-the-art facilities, including modern classrooms, laboratories, and a comprehensive library. Moreover, USCA is located in an area that offers a charming blend of small-town charm and access to larger metropolitan areas such as Augusta, Georgia, making it an ideal location for students seeking a well-rounded college experience.
University of South Carolina Aiken is a public comprehensive higher education institution located in Aiken, SC. This educational institution operates on a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 78%. The freshman retention rate at University of South Carolina Aiken is 67% and the six-year graduation rate is 40%.
The freshmen application deadline for this school is August 1. Learn more about what University of South Carolina Aiken has to offer based on the most recent data this institution has reported.
Quick Facts
3,289
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
16:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
40%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
If you know as much as possible about the school's criteria for admission, you can make a better judgment about your eligibility and boost your chances of getting accepted. Discover some relevant facts about admission policy and requirements at University of South Carolina Aiken.
In 2025, the school accepted 2,361 new students. As far as admission difficulty is considered, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is moderately difficult to get into.
Test Scores
23.12% of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students submitted their SAT scores for admission, and 13.51% submitted ACT scores, out of the total number of those who submitted test scores. 2.6% of the freshmen submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 27.92% between 1,200 and 1,399, 44.81% between 1,000 and 1,199, 21.43% between 800 and 999, and 3.25% of the students between 600 and 799. The percent of new students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 6.67, 34.44 between 24-29, 41.11 in the range between 18-23, and 17.78 between 12-17.
The ACT composite average score for all the admitted students in 2025 was 22 and the average GPA was 3.99. Accordingly, you'll probably need an above-average GPA in order to be granted acceptance, as well as an above-average ACT score.
The new students had an average SAT Critical Reading score of 566 and an average SAT Math score of 534.
Deadlines
Be sure to apply to this school by August 1.
Retention Rate
The freshman retention rate is defined as the percentage of first-year students who return for their sophomore year at a college or university. When you create your list of possible schools to attend, make sure to consider the freshmen retention rate.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for University of South Carolina Aiken was 67%.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. It reflects the proportion of students who obtain their degrees within the expected timeframe. This academic institution has the six-year graduation rate of 40%.
Student Body
Picking a school that is the right place for you is not a simple task. Gaining a better insight into a school's student body helps you learn more about its culture and life.
Main Student Body
In 2025, the school had an enrollment of 4,022 students.
That year, the school had an out-of-state student body percentage of 9.16. The total number of undergraduate students enrolled at the institution was 3,289, 59 of which were foreign students. The school admitted a total of 366 transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 1,097 male and 1,699 female full-time students in 2025.
Student Population Diversity
Higer Education is committed to expanding the diversity of its student population and improving students' sense of inclusion and belonging. Diversity promotes critical thinking, challenges preconceived notions, and encourages intellectual growth, so it helps students develop empathy and a broader understanding of the world. Learn more about all the ethnic communities you might encounter at this institution.
This school had 44 Asian students and 665 Afro-American students in 2025. 288 undergraduate students at this school identified as Hispanic/Latino and 190 as multirace. The school also had 1 student who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and 6 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 17 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Financial planning for school is one of the most important things to consider before you apply. The latest information on the expenses that most students at this school incur are detailed below.
Tuition and Fees
If you were wondering how much the tuition cost for University of South Carolina Aiken is, here are some recent data that will come in handy.
For the students who live in the area, the tuition cost was $10,398, as reported by public county or municipal institutions. Tuition fees were $20,856 for students coming from a different state. For the students coming from abroad, tuition at this school was $20,856, as well. Full-time students in 2025 were required to pay additional fees in the amount of $362.
| Category | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $20,856 | $362 | $21,218 |
| In-State | $10,398 | $362 | $10,760 |
Books and Supplies
Another important expense to take into consideration is the approximate cost of books and supplies for a college or university. The cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is estimated at about $1,290.
Boarding
When choosing a college, you should factor in the price of a dorm room and meals at the school cafeteria. How much do room and board fees average around at colleges and universities?
In 2025, room and board cost at University of South Carolina Aiken amounted to $9,182 a year. The cost of a dorm room only at this school in 2025 reached $5,750 for one academic year.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 10,398 |
| Room and Board | $ 9,182 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,290 |
| Total Expense | $ 20,870 |
Financial Aid
Getting some financial aid in forms of grants, loans, scholarships or work-study programs can be vital for finishing your studies. Check out some recent data to get informed about need-based and non-need-based aid at University of South Carolina Aiken.
According to the most recent data, 376 freshmen were awarded financial aid. The average financial aid package awarded to students came to $12,837.
Need-based
Need-based aid is financial aid that a student can receive if they are determened to have financial need and meet other eligibility criteria.
There were 1,322 students who secured need-based financial aid of any kind. Need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid at University of South Carolina Aiken is available to international students. The overall number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need ended up being 1,449. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution summed up to $6,799,157, and state $5,579,819. The students of University of South Carolina Aiken received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $1,259,223, and external in the amount of $251,441.
$2,587
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Non-need-based aid is any type of financial aid given to a student who does not meet the requirements for need-based aid. The most popular forms of non-need-based financial aid for students are loans and grants, like Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the Teacher Education Access for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.
Institutional non-need-based scholarships or grants were given to 144 students overall (including freshmen) at University of South Carolina Aiken in 2025. 39 full-time freshmen were awarded institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid. The total dollar amount of federal non-need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the studens at this school was $6,799,157 while the state aid is $294,480. The total amount of non-need-based institutional scholarships/grants was $778,708. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. The amount the students of this school received from external sources (e.g. Kiwanis, National Merit) was $897,177 USD.
Majors
Faculty
16:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
Getting information about the faculty at a school can help you estimate the quality of education you will receive there.
According to the most recent data, the student-faculty ratio at University of South Carolina Aiken was 16:1: that means 16 students per one teacher. The faculty of this school consists of 261 members, according to the most recent data reported. This number included 129 men and 132 women. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school is telling of the importance gender equality has at University of South Carolina Aiken.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
Not everything at University of South Carolina Aiken is about learning and grades: campus life is an essential part of your educational experience. Find out some information about campus life at University of South Carolina Aiken.
Its campus is 453 acres in size.
Student Organizations
Student organizations are run by students of an institution, and its membership usually consists exclusively of current students and/or alumni.
This school has 65 open-membership student organizations you can participate in. Sororities and fraternities are included in that number. At this school, 6% of male students are members of social organizations, while that percentage is 5 for female students. The student organization that attracts the greatest number of students is Campus Ministries, followed by University Theatre Players and Greek organizations. Other popular organizations among the students at University of South Carolina Aiken are Student Government Association and Pacer Union Board.
For students with a talent for acting, there is a drama club. Interested in media and communication? University of South Carolina Aiken publishes its own newspaper.
Student Services
University of South Carolina Aiken has a number of services needed for a comfortable and secure life on campus.
There are phone and alarm devices that can be accessed 24/7 for emergency situations. There is a security patrol that operates around the clock. This school has a health clinic with personal/psychological counseling. In addition, other services like Veteran's Affairs are available to the students of University of South Carolina Aiken.
All in all, campus life at University of South Carolina Aiken is rich and vibrant and provides all you need for a comfortable stay.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at University of South Carolina Aiken.
Career Counselling
There are a job bank and job fairs. The school has campus employer recruitment for all the students.
FAQ
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University of South Carolina Aiken is located in Aiken, SC.
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University of South Carolina Aiken offers need-based college-administered scholarship and grant aid to international students.
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The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for University of South Carolina Aiken is 78%.
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According to the latest information, the freshman retention rate for University of South Carolina Aiken is 67%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
