University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) vs Louisiana State University-Alexandria (LSUA)

When it comes to higher education, the University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) and Louisiana State University-Alexandria (LSUA) stand out as two compelling options for prospective students. While both universities offer a rich academic experience, they differ in several key aspects. USCA boasts a higher acceptance rate, making it a more accessible choice for students. LSUA, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate, indicating a strong commitment to student success. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details, including popular majors, student body demographics, and more, to help you make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Louisiana State University-Alexandria	University of South Carolina Aiken
Overview
Location	Alexandria, Louisiana	Aiken, South Carolina
Campus setting	Rural: Fringe	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	57.0%	59.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	58.3%	83.5%
Application fees	$20	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	970 - 1210	960 - 1170
ACT range	18 - 22	16 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	10.0%	43.0%
Students submitting ACT score	90.0%	29.0%
Total number of applicants	3,174	1,808
Total number of admissions given out	1,850	1,510
Admitted students who chose to enroll	410	526
Yield rate	22.2%	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)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $21,095 Out of state: $28,234	In state: $24,928 Out of state: $35,386
Average net price	$7,342	$12,514
Tuition	In state: $4,895 Out of state: $4,984	In state: $10,398 Out of state: $20,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,250 Meal plan: $3,250	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)	88.0% Average amount $6,724	95.0% Average amount $7,746
Students receiving federal student loan	37.0% Average amount $6,430	50.0% Average amount $4,789
Students taking out private loans	3.0% Average amount $6,402	4.0% Average amount $8,017

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,771 Men 29.5% Women 70.5%	3,101 Men 35.0% Women 65.0%
Graduate students	N/A	768 Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	3.0%	8.8%
International students	1.8%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Rural: Fringe	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	390	986
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Louisiana Florida Texas California Maine	South Carolina Georgia North Carolina Florida Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Liberal Arts Business Psychology Education	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	15:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	26.5%	42.9%
Dropout rate	37.5%	15.6%
Transferred out	24.8%	38.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $61,740 Year 2: $44,021 Year 3: $46,159 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,218 Year 2: $42,235 Year 3: $39,780 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,644 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: $34,788 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,112 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: $31,471 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,239 Year 2: $29,685 Year 3: N/A Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,752 Year 2: $30,228 Year 3: N/A Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $39,737 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,354 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	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

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.