USC Aiken vs. Coastal Carolina

Should I go to University of South Carolina Aiken or Coastal Carolina University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if USC Aiken or Coastal Carolina 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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University of South Carolina Aiken vs. Coastal Carolina University comparison
University of South Carolina Aiken Coastal Carolina University College 3 College 4
Coastal Carolina University
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Overview

 USC Aiken Coastal Carolina
Location Aiken, SC Conway, SC
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 3,855 10,829
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #883 #767
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usca.edu coastal.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 USC Aiken Coastal Carolina
Tuition (In State) $10,398 $11,460
Tuition (Out of State) $20,856 $29,448
Room & Board $8,736 $11,418
Avg Net Price $11,697 $14,453
Avg Grant Aid $9,701 $9,939
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 87%

Admission

 USC Aiken Coastal Carolina
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,905 18,223
Admitted 2,316 14,613
Acceptance Rate 79.7% 80.2%
Enrolled % 26.6% 19%
Avg High School GPA 3.19 3.72
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Very Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/23 20/26
SAT Range 970/1200 1050/1210
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

 USC Aiken Coastal Carolina
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Business (30%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (7%)

Outcomes

 USC Aiken Coastal Carolina
Graduation Rate 41% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,600 $42,200
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 54%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $24,930
Median Loan Payment $268 $257

Diversity

 USC Aiken Coastal Carolina
% Men 6% 2%
% Women 13% 3%
Racial Diversity High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 58% 68%
% Black 27% 20%
% Hispanic 4% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 5%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 USC Aiken Coastal Carolina
% In-State 88% 31%
% Out-of-State 11% 68%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Coastal Carolina University is larger than than USC Aiken based on total student enrollment (10,829 students vs. 3,855 students)

USC Aiken vs. Coastal Carolina Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USC Aiken or Coastal Carolina?

  • Coastal Carolina University is 10.2% more expensive to attend than USC Aiken for in-state tuition ($11,460.00 vs. $10,398.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 41.2% higher at Coastal Carolina than University of South Carolina Aiken ($29,448.00 vs. $20,856.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of South Carolina Aiken than Coastal Carolina ($11,697 vs. $14,453)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Carolina Aiken are 30.7% lower than costs at Coastal Carolina University ($8,736 vs. $11,418)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Carolina Aiken than Coastal Carolina University (98% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Coastal Carolina University students is 2.5% larger than aid received University of South Carolina Aiken ($9,939 vs. $9,701)

USC Aiken vs. Coastal Carolina Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Coastal Carolina University (1009) is 33 points higher than at USC Aiken (976)
  • Incoming Coastal Carolina students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at USC Aiken (21)
  • Accepted freshman Coastal Carolina students have a 0.53 point higher average high school GPA (3.72) than students at USC Aiken (3.19)
  • Coastal Carolina has a higher acceptance rate (80.2%) than USC Aiken (79.7%)

USC Aiken vs. Coastal Carolina Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USC Aiken or Coastal Carolina? 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 Coastal Carolina and USC Aiken.

  • The graduation rate at Coastal Carolina is higher than University of South Carolina Aiken (46% vs. 41%)
  • Graduates from Coastal Carolina University earn on average $2,600 more per year than USC Aiken graduates after ten years. ($42,200 vs. $39,600)
  • Coastal Carolina University students graduate with a $1,070 lower median federal student loan debt than USC Aiken graduates. ($24,930 vs. $26,000)
  • Coastal Carolina graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than USC Aiken graduates. ($257 vs. $268)
  • More Coastal Carolina graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USC Aiken students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 54%)

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