# University of South Carolina Aiken

Public college in Aiken, SC. IPEDS ID 218645.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-carolina-aiken · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/university-of-south-carolina-aiken.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 79% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $11,641 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 40%; beats 26% of SC colleges and 25% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $45,603; beats 53% of SC colleges and 28% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $13,000

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $8,987 |
| 30-48k | $8,435 |
| 48-75k | $11,440 |
| 75-110k | $16,046 |
| 110k+ | $17,502 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.48 years on average (25% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $45,603 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $8,987 | $40,262 | 3.3 years |
| 30-48k | $8,435 | $37,789 | 3.1 years |
| 48-75k | $11,440 | $51,251 | 4.2 years |
| 75-110k | $16,046 | $71,886 | 5.9 years |
| 110k+ | $17,502 | $78,409 | 6.5 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $21,540 in-state; about $31,998 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $10,760 in-state, $21,218 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $8,736; books: $1,240

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 510–620; SAT math: 470–600; ACT: 19–26 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 2,905 applicants, 2,316 admitted, 616 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 79%, ACT 19–26 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 80%, ACT 17–23 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (25 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $72,714 | $78,231 | $28,500 |
| Business Administration | $44,816 | $58,908 | $28,725 |
| Communications | $34,654 | $58,203 | $28,000 |
| Sociology | $29,438 | $49,530 | $28,750 |
| Biology | $32,314 | $45,363 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $31,121 | $45,163 | $27,000 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $38,667 | $43,728 | $24,776 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $25,467 | $43,178 | $30,975 |
| English | $27,546 | $38,980 | $27,000 |
| Studio Art | $19,963 | $31,931 | $23,567 |
| Broadcasting / Digital Media | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Computer and Information Sciences | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Special Education | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mechanical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Industrial Engineering | $60,091 | not reported | $22,828 |
| Writing | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Applied Mathematics | $59,965 | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Geology / Earth Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Political Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Theatre | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Music | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| History | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Business Administration → Management analyst: median wage $87,920 (Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC), $100,660 (SC), $101,860 (U.S.)
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $87,760 (Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC), $82,360 (SC), $97,550 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).