More selective than 62% of South Carolina colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,124. College Scorecard.
Higher than 35% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 30% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 74% of South Carolina colleges we cover and 36% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of South Carolina-Upstate acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,557 applicants, University of South Carolina-Upstate admitted 2,476 and 674 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1005–1175 on the SAT or 21–26 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of South Carolina-Upstate tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for South Carolina residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What University of South Carolina-Upstate costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of South Carolina-Upstate took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in South Carolina. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $11,618 | $51,119 | 3.4 years |
| $30–48k | $11,537 | $50,763 | 3.4 years |
| $48–75k | $13,394 | $58,934 | 3.9 years |
| $75–110k | $17,356 | $76,366 | 5.1 years |
| $110k+ | $19,325 | $85,030 | 5.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (28% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($48,587) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $15,071 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
University of South Carolina-Upstate majors, earnings & careers
University of South Carolina-Upstate offers 33 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Science & Math · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Engineering · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of South Carolina-Upstate
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $79,947 | $26,250 |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $67,286 | $31,000 |
| Business Administration | $61,967 | $26,835 |
| Criminal Justice | $48,209 | $27,000 |
| Biology | $48,139 | $27,000 |
| Political Science | $47,796 | $30,000 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $46,121 | $30,000 |
| Physiology | $45,761 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 33 majors
- Accounting—
- Biology$48,139
- Business Administration$61,967
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$45,298
- Computer and Information Sciences$67,286
- Criminal Justice$48,209
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$42,119
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- English$36,785
- Entrepreneurship—
- History—
- Human Development and Family Studies$36,368
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$46,121
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering—
- Medical Illustration and Informatics—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Music—
- Nursing$79,947
- Physiology$45,761
- Political Science$47,796
- Psychology$45,659
- Sociology$43,745
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art$35,612
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Spartanburg
Overall prices in the Spartanburg, SC area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,196. Housing costs 32% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 51 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Spartanburg County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Spartanburg County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of South Carolina-Upstate with similar schools
Similar public colleges in South Carolina by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Carolina-Upstate | 67% | $13,557 | 43% | $48,587 | This school |
| University of South Carolina Aiken | 79% | $11,641 | 40% | $45,603 | |
| Lander University | 81% | $15,363 | 50% | $42,396 | |
| University of South Carolina Beaufort | 73% | $14,656 | 34% | $48,088 | |
| Winthrop University | 79% | $15,343 | 57% | $47,185 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of South Carolina-Upstate would cost you $1,916 more per year than University of South Carolina Aiken, on average.
- Higher sticker price at University of South Carolina-Upstate, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,304).
- University of South Carolina-Upstate gives aided families $1,668 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, South Carolina resident | University of South Carolina-Upstate | University of South Carolina Aiken | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $11,588 | $10,760 | +$828 |
| Books & supplies | $1,600 | $1,240 | +$360 |
| Housing & meals | $10,040 | $8,736 | +$1,304 |
| Personal & travel | $3,637 | $3,100 | +$537 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,741 | −$2,296 | +$555 |
| Sticker price | $25,124 | $21,540 | +$3,584 |
| Average grants | −$11,567 | −$9,899 | −$1,668 |
| You pay | $13,557 | $11,641 | +$1,916 |
“+” means University of South Carolina-Upstate costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about University of South Carolina-Upstate
What is the University of South Carolina-Upstate acceptance rate?
University of South Carolina-Upstate accepts 67% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,476 of 3,557 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1005–1175 on the SAT or 21–26 on the ACT.
How much does University of South Carolina-Upstate cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,124 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $13,557 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $11,618 and families earning $110k+ pay $19,325.
How much do University of South Carolina-Upstate graduates earn?
Former University of South Carolina-Upstate students earn a median $48,587 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of South Carolina-Upstate graduation rate?
43% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 70% return for their second year.
How long does a University of South Carolina-Upstate degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of South Carolina-Upstate costs about $58,934 after grants ($13,394 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $48,587 ten years after starting, $15,071 more than high school graduates in South Carolina ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 3.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of South Carolina-Upstate: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-carolina-upstate (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).