University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · “USC”
- National University
- Public
- Urban campus
- Warm climate
Known for: Business/Management/Marketing, Health Professions, Biological Sciences
A public research university in Columbia, SC. About 60 of every 100 applicants get in. It gives merit scholarships to international students, not need-based aid.
If you apply from Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar → Columbia
- English: TOEFL 77 · IELTS 6.5 · Duolingo 115
- Regular Decision deadline: Dec 1
- US News National
- #127
- QS World
- #711
- THE World
- #401
- Forbes
- #197
- After the average intl award
- Not published by the school
- Full price before aid: ≈$58k/yr
- Admit rate
- 60%
- of applicants get in
- Undergrads
- 29,820
- 1.2% international
- Next deadline
- Dec 1
- Regular Decision
Plus shows 2 more facts about this school ↓
Getting in
About 60% of applicants are admitted. It is test-optional, so you do not have to send SAT or ACT scores, though strong ones still help.
- Test policy
- Test-optional, for international students too
- Admit rate for internationals
- Not published by the school
- SAT, middle 50%
- 1180–1360
- ACT, middle 50%
- 26–32
- Early Action
- Oct 15
- Regular Decision
- Dec 1
- Priority
- Apr 1
- TOEFL iBT minimum
- 77
- min 77 iBT; admitted-student avg ~111 (25+ per section)
- IELTS minimum
- 6.5
- Duolingo (DET) minimum
- 115
- DET accepted; min 115
- SAT or ACT can replace the English test
- Yes
Cost & aid
Full price is about $58k a year before aid. The school does not publish what internationals pay after aid.
- Tuition & fees $36k
- Room & board $14k
- Other fees $6k
- Health insurance $2k
- Cost after the average intl award
- Not published by the school
- Aid for internationals
- Merit
Asking for aid
They decide whether to admit you without looking at your ability to pay, so asking for financial aid does not lower your chances.- Part of the admission decision (need-aware)
Covers all proven need
If they admit you, they cover the full gap between what your family can pay and the total cost, usually with grants you do not repay.- Not published by the school
- Internationals who get aid
- Not published by the school
- Biggest merit scholarship for internationals
- Average award for internationals
- Not published by the school
- Yearly aid budget for internationals
- Not published by the school
- Application fee
- No waiver offered
- Plan for the $100 fee.
- Local living costs
- 82.6 (New York = 100)
- Day-to-day costs are moderate for the US.
What Plus shows for this school
Biggest merit scholarship for internationals
Its name, top amount, what it covers and whether it renews.
Majors with the STEM work extension
How many majors let you work in the US for up to 3 years after graduating.
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Work & visa
OPT lets graduates work in the US for a year after graduation, and STEM majors can add two more years.
- Study
- OPT 1 year
- STEM OPT +2 years
- Majors with the STEM work extension
- CPT internships
- Yes
- Work off campus in your field while you study
- On-campus jobs
- Yes
- Earn while enrolled, no extra visa needed
- Adviser for international students
- Yes
- Immigration and visa support on campus
- Undergraduate research
- Yes
- Co-op built into the curriculum
- No
- IB or A-level credit recognised
- Yes
- Your diploma can earn course credit
- Visa compliance record
- No known SEVIS issues on record
Life & outcomes
92% of first-year students return for a second year. 79% graduate within six years. Graduates start around $51k a year. About 1.2% of undergraduates are international.
- Median starting salary
- $50,621
- All graduates, all majors. Your field will vary.
- Undergraduates
- 29,820
- International undergraduates
- 370
- Share that is international
- 1.2%
- Countries represented
- 100
Similar universities
- University of OregonEugene, OR · #110 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR · #143 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN · #102 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX · #110 US News · Merit aid
- New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, NJ · #80 US News · Need-based and merit aid
- University of Cincinnati-Main CampusCincinnati, OH · #158 US News · Merit aid
Where this comes from
33% of this school's fields are individually verified. Last checked Jul 2, 2026. Figures are for guidance, so always confirm on the school's official pages before you rely on them.
Data sources
- Main source
- College Scorecard (06/2026 release); THE World University Rankings 2026; Intl-aid/CoL batch (2026-06): Numbeo CoL Index; need-blind list per Wikipedia+aggregators; B5/D3 batch (2026-07): co-op per institutional programs; I-20 industry-norm default; SEVIS none-known default; CDS 2025-2026: AppFee/Deadlines/OtherFees (http://oiraa.dw.sc.edu/cds/cds2025/cds_2025-2026.pdf); English-req/test-policy: official intl-admissions pages (2026-07); IntlMisc (countries/SHIP/funnel/outcomes): official intl/ISSS/career pages (2026-07); Programs: IPEDS/Scorecard PCIP (Most-Recent-Cohorts, 2024) [Jul 1, 2026]; STEM-OPT %: DHS STEM List 2024 (6-digit) × Scorecard programs (4-digit CIP, split families adj.) [Jul 1, 2026]; FeeWaiver+fee re-verified Jul 1, 2026 (official/web)
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