University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) vs ECSU-Willimantic

When it comes to higher education, the University of South Carolina Aiken and Eastern Connecticut State University stand out as two distinct institutions with unique offerings. With an acceptance rate of 80% and a graduation rate of 48%, the University of South Carolina Aiken presents a more accessible path to a degree, while Eastern Connecticut State University's 70% acceptance rate and 55% graduation rate indicate a slightly more selective admissions process and a higher success rate in degree completion. While both universities offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, the University of South Carolina Aiken excels in fields like Business, Education, and Nursing, whereas Eastern Connecticut State University shines in areas such as Liberal Arts and Sciences, Psychology, and Social Work. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions' student demographics, costs, and other key factors that can help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.

	Eastern Connecticut State University	University of South Carolina Aiken
Overview
Location	Willimantic, Connecticut	Aiken, South Carolina
Campus setting	Town: Fringe	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	77.0%	59.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	73.2%	83.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	N/A	960 - 1170
ACT range	N/A	16 - 23
Students submitting SAT score		43.0%
Students submitting ACT score		29.0%
Total number of applicants	4,630	1,808
Total number of admissions given out	3,389	1,510
Admitted students who chose to enroll	784	526
Yield rate	23.1%	34.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $25,620 Out of state: $39,024	In state: $24,928 Out of state: $35,386
Average net price	$19,054	$12,514
Tuition	In state: $6,162 Out of state: $18,436	In state: $10,398 Out of state: $20,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,270 Meal plan: $6,164	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)	95.0% Average amount $8,680	95.0% Average amount $7,746
Students receiving federal student loan	61.0% Average amount $5,285	50.0% Average amount $4,789
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $12,507	4.0% Average amount $8,017

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	4,145 Men 41.8% Women 58.2%	3,101 Men 35.0% Women 65.0%
Graduate students	174 Men 30.5% Women 69.5%	768 Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	13.0%	8.8%
International students	0.6%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Town: Fringe	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	2,435	986
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Connecticut Mississippi North Carolina New York Rhode Island	South Carolina Georgia North Carolina Florida Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Psychology Education Liberal Arts Health Professions	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	New England Commission on Higher Education	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	57.0%	42.9%
Dropout rate	41.6%	15.6%
Transferred out	N/A	38.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $55,410 Year 2: $53,984 Year 3: $70,171 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,288 Year 2: $58,479 Year 3: $63,206 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,596 Year 2: $48,823 Year 3: $56,642 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $43,082 Year 2: $44,305 Year 3: $55,290 Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,802 Year 2: $39,369 Year 3: $52,374 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $30,427 Year 2: $32,711 Year 3: $48,234 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,681 Year 2: $39,099 Year 3: $47,307 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $45,052 Year 2: $43,128 Year 3: $47,145 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,483 Year 2: $31,423 Year 3: $46,610 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,969 Year 2: $33,281 Year 3: $44,335	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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