Quad

Head-to-head

Auburn
U. South Carolina-Columbia

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. South Carolina-Columbia is more diverse (index 0.46 vs. 0.31)

    Diversity index
  2. 2

    U. South Carolina-Columbia costs about $8.3K less per year on average than Auburn ($27,484 vs. $35,798, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    U. South Carolina-Columbia has 7 pts more Pell recipients than Auburn (19% vs. 13%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  4. 4

    Auburn's SAT midpoint is 45 points higher than U. South Carolina-Columbia's

    SAT midpoint
  5. 5

    Auburn grads earn $3.2K more ten years out than U. South Carolina-Columbia's ($65,337 vs. $62,177)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  6. 6

    Auburn admits 46% vs. 57% at U. South Carolina-Columbia

    Acceptance rate

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

Auburn admits 46%, U. South Carolina-Columbia 57%; Auburn's yield is higher, at 24%.

Acceptance rate
Auburn46%
U. South Carolina-Columbia57%
Quad's selectivity
  • AuburnVery selective
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaSelectivefrom South CarolinaVery selectivefrom other states
SAT middle 50%Axis 1100–1600
Auburn
1260–1390
U. South Carolina-Columbia
1200–1360
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • AuburnGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaGPA very important48%

Who's on each campus

U. South Carolina-Columbia is a bit larger than Auburn (29,820 vs. 26,816 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Auburn26.8K
U. South Carolina-Columbia29.8K
Pell Grant share
Auburn13%
U. South Carolina-Columbia19%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at Auburn, and Public Health at U. South Carolina-Columbia.

Students per faculty member
Auburn21 to 1
U. South Carolina-Columbia19 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • AuburnBusiness Administration and Management, General6%
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaPublic Health, General8%

What each costs

U. South Carolina-Columbia costs about $8.3K less a year than Auburn on average; Auburn's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Auburn$35.8K
U. South Carolina-Columbia$27.5K
Aid generosity
Auburn20%
U. South Carolina-Columbia19%

What each pays off

Auburn's former students earn more, a median $65.3K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 70% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
Auburn$65.3K
U. South Carolina-Columbia$62.2K
Graduation rate
Auburn80%
U. South Carolina-Columbia77%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • AuburnGrowing+225%
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaGrowing+126%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;University of South Carolina-Columbia (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why