Purchase College vs University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA)

SUNY at Purchase College and University of South Carolina Aiken: A Comparative Overview SUNY at Purchase College and University of South Carolina Aiken, while both offering unique educational experiences, present distinct differences in their academic offerings, student demographics, and campus environments. SUNY Purchase boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing for a more diverse student body, while USC Aiken maintains a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. In terms of academics, SUNY Purchase excels in the arts, with popular majors in the performing arts, visual arts, and design, while USC Aiken offers a wider range of programs, including strong business and nursing programs. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover further distinctions between these institutions, such as graduation rates, financial aid opportunities, and campus life, to determine which college best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	SUNY at Purchase College	University of South Carolina Aiken
Overview
Location	Purchase, New York	Aiken, South Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	79.0%	59.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	75.4%	83.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $85	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	1120 - 1320	960 - 1170
ACT range	27 - 31	16 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	12.0%	43.0%
Students submitting ACT score	2.0%	29.0%
Total number of applicants	4,047	1,808
Total number of admissions given out	3,052	1,510
Admitted students who chose to enroll	680	526
Yield rate	22.3%	34.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $28,661 Out of state: $38,571	In state: $24,928 Out of state: $35,386
Average net price	$19,458	$12,514
Tuition	In state: $7,070 Out of state: $16,980	In state: $10,398 Out of state: $20,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $9,098 Meal plan: $5,450	Room/dormitory: $5,316 Meal plan: $2,886
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	76.0% Average amount $8,868	95.0% Average amount $7,746
Students receiving federal student loan	40.0% Average amount $5,040	50.0% Average amount $4,789
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $12,471	4.0% Average amount $8,017

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,439 Men 41.1% Women 58.9%	3,101 Men 35.0% Women 65.0%
Graduate students	83 Men 51.8% Women 48.2%	768 Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	16.2%	8.8%
International students	1.9%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,270	986
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	New York New Jersey Connecticut Florida Mississippi	South Carolina Georgia North Carolina Florida Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Visual & Performing Arts Liberal Arts Communication and Journalism Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	63.5%	42.9%
Dropout rate	12.0%	15.6%
Transferred out	23.1%	38.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Mathematics and Statistics, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $48,041 Year 3: $52,996 Visual and Performing Arts, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,399 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $50,881 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,852 Year 2: $28,236 Year 3: $41,970 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,844 Year 2: $23,693 Year 3: $41,354 Journalism (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,684 Year 2: $30,305 Year 3: $37,885 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,288 Year 2: $26,482 Year 3: $36,161 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $23,080 Year 2: $30,047 Year 3: $33,268 Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,859 Year 2: $30,475 Year 3: $32,388 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,933 Year 2: $26,933 Year 3: $31,949 Literature (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,339 Year 2: $21,234 Year 3: $30,297	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,627 Year 2: $60,689 Year 3: $61,889 Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,439 Year 3: $55,200 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,411 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $42,700 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,701 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $41,808 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,954 Year 2: $35,559 Year 3: $34,839 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,491 Year 2: $29,995 Year 3: $33,473 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,013 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $32,520 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,167 Year 2: $17,551 Year 3: $22,590 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,827 Year 2: $30,650 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,139 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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