University of South Carolina-Columbia (UofSC) vs The University of Alabama (UA)

Envision yourself as a student, embarking on a journey of higher education. As you navigate the vast landscape of universities, two prominent institutions emerge: the University of South Carolina-Columbia and The University of Alabama. While both offer exceptional academic opportunities, they possess distinct characteristics that may influence your decision. Delve into our comprehensive comparison table to uncover the nuances that set these universities apart. Explore the contrasting acceptance rates, discover the spectrum of popular majors, immerse yourself in the diverse student body demographics, and evaluate the graduation rates that reflect each institution's commitment to student success. This side-by-side analysis empowers you to make an informed choice, aligning your aspirations with the university that best resonates with your academic pursuits and personal growth.

	The University of Alabama	University of South Carolina-Columbia
Overview
Location	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Columbia, South Carolina
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
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	89.0%	87.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	78.9%	61.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $65	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $50
SAT range	1070 - 1370	1150 - 1360
ACT range	21 - 31	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score	17.0%	38.0%
Students submitting ACT score	63.0%	26.0%
Total number of applicants	42,421	42,045
Total number of admissions given out	33,472	25,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll	7,593	6,174
Yield rate	22.7%	23.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $31,024 Out of state: $50,494	In state: $29,398 Out of state: $50,638
Average net price	$21,263	$21,898
Tuition	In state: $10,780 Out of state: $30,250	In state: $12,288 Out of state: $33,528
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,900 Meal plan: $4,234	Room/dormitory: $7,010 Meal plan: $3,980
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	76.0% Average amount $16,363	93.0% Average amount $7,055
Students receiving federal student loan	37.0% Average amount $5,221	48.0% Average amount $5,340
Students taking out private loans	9.0% Average amount $23,617	10.0% Average amount $17,657

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	31,685 Men 43.5% Women 56.5%	26,864 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	6,631 Men 36.9% Women 63.1%	8,607 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	62.2%	N/A
International students	3.0%	4.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	9,385	9,377
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Alabama Georgia Illinois Texas Tennessee	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Engineering Family and Consumer Sciences Education	Business Health Professions Education Engineering Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	19:1	18:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.2%	78.2%
Dropout rate	7.7%	5.3%
Transferred out	18.8%	16.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $104,741 Year 2: $119,061 Year 3: $121,674 Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,175 Year 2: $84,653 Year 3: $101,082 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,913 Year 2: $80,004 Year 3: $96,574 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,715 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $89,742 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,858 Year 2: $71,015 Year 3: $83,044 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,725 Year 2: $75,832 Year 3: $82,831 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $75,975 Year 2: $75,921 Year 3: $82,382 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,535 Year 2: $90,412 Year 3: $81,427 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,760 Year 2: $65,281 Year 3: $76,647 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $62,913 Year 2: $60,771 Year 3: $76,479	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $102,315 Year 2: $132,531 Year 3: $124,225 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $103,612 Year 2: $114,145 Year 3: $117,580 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $104,414 Year 2: $95,102 Year 3: $107,403 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,505 Year 2: $91,986 Year 3: $97,806 International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,202 Year 2: $90,049 Year 3: $93,323 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,370 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $79,846 Public Health (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $77,526 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,229 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $76,713 International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,365 Year 2: $70,776 Year 3: $73,730 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,632 Year 2: $66,670 Year 3: $72,857

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