Masters Colleges & Universities: Small ProgramsPublic

University of South Carolina Aiken

Aiken, South Carolina·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·usca.edu
6-yr Graduation
40%
-2.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Total enrollment
4,022
peer median 3,322
Avg net price
$11,611
-$390 vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
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Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
3,005
3,005 candidates competed
Admitted
2,360
78.5% acceptance rate
Enrolled
666
28.2% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
40%-2.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
4-year graduation
23%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
40%
Full-time retention
67%

Pell equity

2.0pp gap
Pell recipients
36%
Non-Pell
38%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 2.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 49 Title IV programs, 10 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 38 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
49
Passing
10
20.4% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
1
2.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
2.0%
+1.4pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

49programs
  • Passing10 · 20.4%
  • No Data38 · 77.6%
  • Failing1 · 2.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
1
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
8
No data
38

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

11
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-3.2%
$31,931 vs $32,989
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+18.2%
$38,980 vs $32,989
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+21.9%
$62,849 vs $51,545
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+30.9%
$43,178 vs $32,989
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
+32.6%
$43,728 vs $32,989
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+36.9%
$45,163 vs $32,989
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+37.5%
$45,363 vs $32,989
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+50.1%
$49,530 vs $32,989

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
-3.2%
$1,058

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

9
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
70%
$30,000 debt · $43,178 earn
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
69%
$21,982 debt · $31,931 earn
Sociology
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
59%
$29,250 debt · $49,530 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
58%
$26,000 debt · $45,163 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
56%
$25,450 debt · $45,363 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Bachelor Degree · Education
50%
$22,000 debt · $43,728 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
44%
$25,604 debt · $58,203 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
41%
$24,273 debt · $58,908 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1977Next review Jun 2027

Programmatic accreditations · 5

Action history · 7

  1. Feb 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Jun 2022Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  3. Dec 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Dec 2021Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Jun 2018Renewal of Accreditation
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$7,618
$30–48k$10,107
$48–75k$12,688
$75–110k$16,097
$110k+$16,708

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$11,611
-$390vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs median $12,001
Federal loans
45.5%
In-state tuition
$10,760
Out-of-state
$21,218

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 1,571 students received $9.2M in Pell grants, alongside $15.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
1,571
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$9.2M
$9,238,370 total
Direct Loans
$15.0M
2,706 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
1k
21
1k
22
1k
23
2k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.0M
1,074 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$4.8M
1,161 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$4.7M
333 loan awards
Parent PLUS$1.3M
115 loan awards
Grad PLUS$254K
23 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 899 borrowers who entered repayment, 22 (2.4%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
2.4%
+0.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
899
Defaulted
22
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.4%
2017
9.3%
2018
6.3%
2019
2.4%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at USCA

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs32
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

785 total completions
01Business
34243.6%
02Health Professions
11414.5%
03Psychology
597.5%
04Education
546.9%
05Communication
496.2%
06Parks/Recreation
445.6%
07Biological Sciences
395.0%
08Computer Sciences
384.8%
09Social Sciences
273.4%
10Visual/Performing Arts
192.4%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
4,022
12-mo unduplicated
4,746
Undergraduate
3,573
Graduate
1,173

Gender split

Men
36%1,687
Women
64%3,059

Race / ethnicity composition

White
59.8%
Black
22.3%
Hispanic
8.4%
Two or more
6.0%
Non-resident
1.6%
Asian
1.3%
Unknown
0.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
192
104 M · 88 W
Women athletes
45.8%
Athletic aid
$1.6M
Total student aid
Budget
$5.2M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$836K
$741K
Recruiting expense
$22K
$29K
Head-coach salaries
$62K
$53K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 7

Soccer
29 M · 23 W
$670K
Baseball
42 M ·
$682K
Basketball
14 M · 16 W
$1.3M
Softball
· 22 W
$397K
Cross Country
8 M · 10 W
$237K
Volleyball
· 17 W
$419K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 3,840 students

3-year trend

1.012 yrs ago0.261 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
5
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
4
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
2

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    1
    Dating violence
    2
    Stalking
    3 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    • National origin1

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons10
    Drugs26
    Liquor013

    Residence-hall fires

    • Pacer Downs1 fire
      CookingDamage $100-$999
    • Pacer Crossings1 fire
      CookingDamage $100-$999

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    Student-to-faculty
    16.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    160

    USCA vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions USCA selected for federal comparison reporting.

    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectUniversity of South Carolina Aiken
    40%4,022$11,611Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    South Carolina State University
    37%82.6%3,242$18,268Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Christopher Newport University
    72%86.0%4,454$22,197Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    West Virginia State University
    39%96.0%3,246$10,191Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Shepherd University
    51%96.8%3,339$12,391Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Fairmont State University
    44%98.6%3,305$9,055Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
    Peer group median42%96.0%3,322$12,001

    Frequently asked questions about University of South Carolina Aiken

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about USCA.

    What is the graduation rate at University of South Carolina Aiken?

    University of South Carolina Aiken reports a 6-year graduation rate of 40% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend University of South Carolina Aiken?

    University of South Carolina Aiken reports a total enrollment of 4,022 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at University of South Carolina Aiken?

    The average net price at University of South Carolina Aiken is $11,611 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    What is the yield rate at University of South Carolina Aiken?

    University of South Carolina Aiken's yield rate is 28.2%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

    Where is University of South Carolina Aiken located?

    University of South Carolina Aiken is located in Aiken, South Carolina 29801.

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