IU Northwest vs. USC Aiken

Should I go to Indiana University Northwest or University of South Carolina Aiken? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if IU Northwest or USC Aiken is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Indiana University Northwest vs. University of South Carolina Aiken comparison
Indiana University Northwest University of South Carolina Aiken College 3 College 4
Indiana University Northwest
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Overview

 IU Northwest USC Aiken
Location Gary, IN Aiken, SC
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,198 3,840
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #882 #888
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website iun.edu usca.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 IU Northwest USC Aiken
Tuition (In State) $7,274 $10,398
Tuition (Out of State) $20,634 $20,856
Room & Board $9,412 $8,376
Avg Net Price $6,553 $11,872
Avg Grant Aid $8,754 $9,891
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 100%

Admission

 IU Northwest USC Aiken
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 1,915 2,453
Admitted 1,538 1,855
Acceptance Rate 80.3% 75.6%
Enrolled % 27.3% 29.8%
Avg High School GPA 3.14 3.19
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Easy Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/25 18/24
SAT Range 950/1170 950/1180
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 IU Northwest USC Aiken
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (33%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (8%)
  • Business (25%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)

Outcomes

 IU Northwest USC Aiken
Graduation Rate 23% 41%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,500 $39,600
Making Student Loan Payments 33% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,030 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $258 $268

Diversity

 IU Northwest USC Aiken
% Men 25% 36%
% Women 75% 64%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 55% 58%
% Black 18% 27%
% Hispanic 20% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 0% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 IU Northwest USC Aiken
% In-State 97% 87%
% Out-of-State 2% 11%

Campus

 IU Northwest USC Aiken
Campus Housing No Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan No Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of South Carolina Aiken is larger than than IU Northwest based on total student enrollment (3,840 students vs. 3,198 students)

IU Northwest vs. USC Aiken Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, IU Northwest or USC Aiken?

  • University of South Carolina Aiken is 42.9% more expensive to attend than IU Northwest for in-state tuition ($10,398.00 vs. $7,274.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 1.1% higher at USC Aiken than Indiana University Northwest ($20,856.00 vs. $20,634.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Indiana University Northwest than USC Aiken ($6,553 vs. $11,872)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Carolina Aiken are 12.4% lower than costs at Indiana University Northwest ($8,376 vs. $9,412)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Carolina Aiken than Indiana University Northwest (100% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Carolina Aiken students is 13% larger than aid received Indiana University Northwest ($9,891 vs. $8,754)

IU Northwest vs. USC Aiken Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, IU Northwest or USC Aiken? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between USC Aiken or IU Northwest .

  • The average SAT score at University of South Carolina Aiken (976) is 48 points higher than at IU Northwest (928)
  • Incoming USC Aiken students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at IU Northwest (20)
  • Accepted freshman USC Aiken students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.19) than students at IU Northwest (3.14)
  • IU Northwest has a higher acceptance rate (80.3%) than USC Aiken (75.6%)

IU Northwest vs. USC Aiken Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, IU Northwest or USC Aiken? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between USC Aiken and IU Northwest.

  • The graduation rate at USC Aiken is higher than Indiana University Northwest (41% vs. 23%)
  • Graduates from University of South Carolina Aiken earn on average $100 more per year than IU Northwest graduates after ten years. ($39,600 vs. $39,500)
  • Indiana University Northwest students graduate with a $970 lower median federal student loan debt than USC Aiken graduates. ($25,030 vs. $26,000)
  • IU Northwest graduates are paying $10 less per month on federal student loans than USC Aiken graduates. ($258 vs. $268)
  • More USC Aiken graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former IU Northwest students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 33%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/