Paying for South Carolina

How much does University of South Carolina-Columbia tuition?

The 2025 tuition & fees of University of South Carolina-Columbia is $12,688 for in-state and $36,298 for out-of-state students. Its tuition & fees is around the average tuition for R1 Universities' tuition of $39,763 based on out-of-state tuition rate.

Based on the last year increase rate, The 2026 estimated tuition & fees at South Carolina is $12,688 for South Carolina residents and $37,706 for out-of-state students, a 3.9% increase compared to 2025's rate.

South Carolina 2025 Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-StateR1 Universities' Average
2023-2024$12,688 $34,943$38,374
2024-2025$12,688$36,298$39,763
Change % 2024-20250.00%3.88%3.62%
2025-2026 Estimate$12,688$37,706$41,202
Explore University of South Carolina-Columbia

How much do you actually pay at South Carolina?

The living costs at South Carolina is $18,064 when living on campus. The on-campus living costs increased by 0.01% compared to the previous year. The off-campus living costs increased by 8.24%.

The South Carolina's 2025 COA is $32,190 for in-state and $55,800 for out-of-state students for living on campus. The off-campus COA is $32,250 for in-state and $55,860 for out-of-state students.

80% of enrolled students have received grants or scholarships, and the average aid amount is $7,193. It could cover 19.82% of the full tuition amount.

After receiving the financial aid, the net price is $24,997 for in-state and $48,607 for out-of-state students..

University of South Carolina-Columbia 2025 Cost of Attendance (COA)
On-CampusOff-Campus
In-StateOut-StateIn-StateOut-State
Tuition & Fees$12,688$36,298$12,688$36,298
Room & Board$13,534$13,594
Personal Expenses$4,530$4,530
Books & Supplies$1,438$1,438
COA$32,190$55,800$32,250$55,860
COA with Financial Aid$24,997$48,607$25,057$48,667

South Carolina 4-Years Tuition

How Much is South Carolina tuition for 4 years?

South Carolina's 4-years tuition is $50,752 for in-state and $148,611 for out-of-state students, based on current tuition and change rate.

Since the tuition & fees at University of South Carolina-Columbia have risen very slightly (very lower than national average) over the last 4 years, the actual costs may differ from the estimation based on the school or University system's new tuition policy.

South Carolina 4 Years Tuition & Fees Estimates
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$12,688$12,688$12,688$12,688$50,752
Out-of-State$36,637$36,979$37,324$37,672$148,611
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$12,688$12,688$12,688$12,688$50,752
Out-of-State$36,979$37,324$37,672$38,024$149,998
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$12,688$12,688$12,688$12,688$50,752
Out-of-State$37,324$37,672$38,024$38,379$151,398
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$12,688$12,688$12,688$12,688$50,752
Out-of-State$37,672$38,024$38,379$38,737$152,811
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$12,688$12,688$12,688$12,688$50,752
Out-of-State$38,024$38,379$38,737$39,098$154,237

Net Price for 4 Years at South Carolina

Based on recent tuition increase rate, for the students who were admitted in Fall 2025, the estimated 4-years COA is $129,312 for South Carolina residents and $227,172 for out-of-state students.

South Carolina 4 Years COA
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$32,243$32,298$32,299$32,299$129,312
Out-of-State$56,192$56,589$56,991$57,399$227,172
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$32,298$32,356$32,356$32,356$129,546
Out-of-State$56,589$56,991$57,399$57,812$228,792
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$32,356$32,415$32,415$32,416$129,787
Out-of-State$56,991$57,399$57,812$58,231$230,434
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$32,415$32,477$32,477$32,477$130,038
Out-of-State$57,399$57,812$58,231$58,655$232,097
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$32,477$32,540$32,541$32,541$130,298
Out-of-State$57,812$58,231$58,655$59,085$233,783

Actual COA after Receiving Financial Aid

After receiving the financial aid, the net price for 4 years of attending the school is $100,540 for South Carolina residents and $198,400 for out-of-state students.

South Carolina 4 Years COA after Receiving Financial Aid
ResidencyFreshmenSophomoreJuniorSenior4 Years Total
Class of 2029 (Entering Fall 2025)In-State$25,050$25,105$25,106$25,106$100,540
Out-of-State$48,999$49,396$49,798$50,206$198,400
Class of 2030 (Entering Fall 2026)In-State$25,105$25,163$25,163$25,163$100,774
Out-of-State$49,396$49,798$50,206$50,619$200,020
Class of 2031 (Entering Fall 2027)In-State$25,163$25,222$25,222$25,223$101,015
Out-of-State$49,798$50,206$50,619$51,038$201,662
Class of 2032 (Entering Fall 2028)In-State$25,222$25,284$25,284$25,284$101,266
Out-of-State$50,206$50,619$51,038$51,462$203,325
Class of 2033 (Entering Fall 2029)In-State$25,284$25,347$25,348$25,348$101,526
Out-of-State$50,619$51,038$51,462$51,892$205,011

South Carolina's Graduate Tuition

The graduate school tuition at University of South Carolina-Columbia is $14,134 for in-state and $30,160 for out-of-state students. Detailed graduate program tuition and majors can be found at South Carolina graduate program page.

University of South Carolina-Columbia has law school and medical school and their tuition is different from other graduate programs, usually higher. The law school tuition is $24,322 for in-state and $42,100 for out-of-state students. See the detailed law school tuition at University of South Carolina School of Law page.

The medical school tuition is $44,488 for in-state and $88,750 for out-of-state students. See the detailed medical school tuition at University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville page.

South Carolina Graduate Tuition & Fees
YearIn-StateOut-of-State
2023-2024$13,774 $30,160
2024-2025$14,134$30,160
Change % 2024-20252.61%0.00%
2025-2026$14,503$30,160

Tuition Per Credit Hour

For part-time and/or full-time students who take additional credits at South Carolina is $512 for South Carolina residents and $1,496 for out-of-state students. The graduate tuition per credit hour is $572 for South Carolina residents and $1,240 for out-of-state students.

Per Credit Hour Charge at South Carolina
YearIn-StateOut-of-State
Undergraduate2023-2024$512$1,439
2024-2025$512$1,496
2025-2026 (Estimate)$512$1,555
Graduate2023-2024$572$1,240
2024-2025$572$1,240
2025-2026 (Estimate)$572$1,240

South Carolina Tuition Charts

The following charts visualize tuition, fees, living costs, and other expenses at South Carolina. You can enlarge the chart to view detailed information.

Compare Tuition with Similar Colleges

The following table compares tuition & fees between University of South Carolina-Columbia and its similar schools.

Compare Details
Tuition Comparison between South Carolina and Similar Colleges
In-StateOut-of-State
University of South Carolina-Columbia$12,688$36,298
University of Arkansas$10,104$29,966
The University of Alabama$12,180$34,172
University of Missouri-Columbia$14,837$36,056
Auburn University$12,890$34,922
Vanderbilt University$67,498

South Carolina Tuition Frequently Asked Questions

For the academic year 2024-2025, the undergraduate tuition & fees at South Carolina are $12,688 for South Carolina residents and $36,298 for out-of-state students.
The total cost of attendance (COA) at South Carolina for the academic year 2024-2025 includes tuition & fees, books & supplies, and living expenses. For in-state students, the estimated COA is $32,190 and $55,800 for out-of-state students. Actual costs may vary depending on housing choices and personal expenses.
It has been stayed same for South Carolina residents and increased by 3.88% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year. The graduate tuition has been risen by 2.61% for South Carolina residents and decreased by 0.00% for out-of-state rates compared to the previous year.
80% of South Carolina undergraduates receive grants or scholarships, with an average aid amount of $7,193 per student. Additional financial aid options are available through South Carolina's financial aid office.

In-State (South Carolina Residents): The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $129,312, including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. The tuition and fees alone are approximately $12,688 per year, which would total around $50,752 over four years.

Out-of-State: The projected 4-year cost for a degree is approximately $227,172. The tuition and fees are around $37,672 per year, totaling about $148,611 over four years.

South Carolina charges $512 per credit hour for in-state undergraduates and $1,496 for out-of-state undergraduates. Graduate students pay $572 (in-state) or $1,240 (out-of-state) per credit hour.

The in-state undergraduate tuition at South Carolina is about the same as the average for similar schools ($12,338 - public Research University (very high research activity)).

The out-of-state undergraduate tuition at South Carolina is a little bit higher than the average for similar schools ($31,723 - public Research University (very high research activity)).

The in-state graduate tuition at South Carolina is about the same as the average for similar schools ($14,181 - public Research University (very high research activity)).

The out-of-state graduate tuition at South Carolina is about the same as the average for similar schools ($29,952 - public Research University (very high research activity)).

Ratings & Review

Share your experiences and thoughts about University of South Carolina-Columbia. It will be a great help to applicants and prospective students!

Be the first reviewer
Compare Rivalry Schools
The following schools are frequently compared to South Carolina. Compare them with important perspectives.
Members In SEC
University of South Carolina-Columbia is a member of Southeastern Conference (SEC). Check and Compare to other members.
Most Searched South Carolina Colleges (last 30 days)
Related Articles and Ads