Quad

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Public Health, General (8% of graduates). 19 students for every faculty member, more than at 87% of colleges. 75% of faculty are full-time. Spends $14,139 a year on instruction per student.

Most popular majors

6,743 bachelor's degrees, 2024–25 graduates

The top 5 programs account for 32% of graduates; 83 programs in 22 fields awarded at least one.

  1. Public Health, General 51.22017.6% 512
    Graduates in this field earn $58,715 4 years out
  2. Finance, General 52.08016.9% 462
    Graduates in this field earn $92,578 4 years out
  3. Experimental Psychology 42.27046.6% 442
    Graduates in this field earn $51,090 4 years out
  4. Biology/Biological Sciences, General 26.01016.0% 402
    Graduates in this field earn $58,669 4 years out
  5. Marketing/Marketing Management, General 52.14014.7% 316
    Graduates in this field earn $81,945 4 years out

Fastest-growing field: Health professions, 7.3% → 13% of graduates since 2014–15 (862 graduates in 2024–25).

Source:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2014–15 to 2024–25About the data(built 2026-10-12; CPI retrieved 2026-10-12)

Bachelor's degrees awarded July through June, by federal program name (), which can differ from what the college calls a major. A double major counts once, under the ; its other field is a . Earnings are College Scorecard's median for graduates of the program's broader field (), 4 years after completion; see Top-earning majors below.

Top-earning majors here

By earnings 4 years after completion

  1. Computer Engineering$109,116 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $73,982

    4 years after completion$109,116
    National median: $109,015About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $77,105 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $25,675 · 69 graduates, two most recent years combined

  2. International Business$107,205 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $70,992

    4 years after completion$107,205
    National median: $73,201Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: Too few graduates to report · Non-Pell: $91,375(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $25,174 · 347 graduates, two most recent years combined

  3. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$100,042 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $77,161

    4 years after completion$100,042
    National median: $100,647About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $82,546 · Non-Pell: Too few graduates to report(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $27,000 · 80 graduates, two most recent years combined

  4. Chemical Engineering$98,244 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $75,680

    4 years after completion$98,244
    National median: $98,158About typical

    4 years out, Pell: $89,772 · Non-Pell: $83,568(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $26,241 · 114 graduates, two most recent years combined

  5. Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$98,020 4 yrs out

    1 year after completion: $68,804

    4 years after completion$98,020
    National median: $86,176Above typical

    4 years out, Pell: $72,791 · Non-Pell: $84,381(an older graduating class than the figure above — see the (i) for why)

    Median federal debt: $22,497 · 415 graduates, two most recent years combined

Bachelor's programs only, among graduates who received federal financial aid and were working (not enrolled in school) in the measurement year.

Students per faculty member vs. every college19 to 1
19 to 1
← Fewer students per facultymore students per faculty member than 87% of 1,892More students per faculty →

The college also reports 19 to 1 in its Common Data Set (35,446 students, 1,874 faculty).

Not the average class size: faculty also teach graduate students and do research, and large lectures can sit alongside small seminars.

Class sizes

34%

of classes have fewer than 20 students; 16% have 50 or more

Under 20 students 20 or moreStudents per class section
Undergraduate class sections by number of students
StudentssectionsShare
2–91635%
10–191,05930%
20–291,19333%
30–393129%
40–492738%
50–9941712%
100+1645%

This counts class sections, not students: a lecture of 300 is one section, so a student is more likely to sit in a large class than the share of sections suggests. Labs and discussion sections are counted separately and left out here.

Programs & curriculum

  • Accelerated program
  • Distance learning
  • Double major
  • English as a Second Language
  • Domestic exchange program
  • Honors program
  • Independent study
  • Internships
  • Liberal arts/career combination
  • Student-designed major
  • Teacher certification
  • Study abroad

Requires coursework in arts, English composition, a foreign language, history, humanities, math, a natural science, and social science.

Full-time faculty75%
National median: 67%Above typical
Average faculty salary

$111,918

9-month equated, all ranks combined. Pay tracks local cost of living as much as a college's generosity.

Spending and endowment

Fiscal 2023–24. Compared only against other public colleges: public and private colleges report finances on different accounting forms that aren't comparable. Many public universities' endowments sit mostly in a separate foundation this survey doesn't count, so this likely understates what's actually available.

Instruction spending per student$14,139
$14,139
← Lessmore than 73% of 557More →
Endowment per student$20,516
$20,516
← Lessmore than 70% of 537More →

Sources:IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard Field of Study data, most recent release;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks), Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures, 2023–24;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, 2025–26;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation), 2025–26About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)