University of South Carolina-Columbia

What are the graduation rates for students at University of South Carolina-Columbia?

About 79% of the university's reported first-time, full-time students completed a degree within six years; the reported four-year graduation rate was 70%. These IPEDS-style measures follow defined entering cohorts and should not be read as the completion rate for every transfer, part-time or graduate student.

The reported first-year retention rate was 92%, meaning that most students in the measured cohort returned for a second year. Retention and graduation describe different milestones, and neither explains why a particular student stays or leaves. For applicants, the difference between the four- and six-year rates is financially relevant: an additional year can bring more tuition and living expenses, even when it allows time to finish a degree.

What is the earning potential for graduates at University of South Carolina-Columbia?

Program-level College Scorecard figures offer a limited look at earnings roughly one year after completing study at University of South Carolina-Columbia. They describe former students included in the federal data, not a salary promised to a new graduate. Earnings depend on the measured cohort and program, and the figures do not adjust for individual career choices or local living costs.

The reported one-year figures illustrate how widely programs can differ: approximately $71,200 for electrical, electronics and communications engineering, $61,700 for registered nursing, $57,400 for general computer and information sciences, and $28,800 for communication and media studies. A student evaluating these figures should also consider whether graduates commonly pursue further education, licensure or work that pays differently early in a career. Where a program has too few reportable observations, its published earnings picture may be incomplete.