USC Aiken vs. Purdue Northwest

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

 USC Aiken Purdue Northwest
Location Aiken, SC Hammond, Indiana
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 3,840 8,911
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #888
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usca.edu pnw.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 USC Aiken Purdue Northwest
Tuition (In State) $10,398 $7,373
Tuition (Out of State) $20,856 $14,364
Room & Board $8,376 $8,215
Avg Net Price $11,872 $9,162
Avg Grant Aid $9,891 $7,070
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 75%

Admission

 USC Aiken Purdue Northwest
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,453 5,670
Admitted 1,855 4,129
Acceptance Rate 75.6% 72.8%
Enrolled % 29.8% 31.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.19 3.19
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Easy Very Easy
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 18/24 18/24
SAT Range 950/1180 950/1170
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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

 USC Aiken Purdue Northwest
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)

Outcomes

 USC Aiken Purdue Northwest
Graduation Rate 41% -
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,600 N/A
Making Student Loan Payments 54% -
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 N/A
Median Loan Payment $268 N/A

Diversity

 USC Aiken Purdue Northwest
% Men 36% 44%
% Women 64% 56%
Racial Diversity High -
HBCU No No
% White 58% 0%
% Black 27% 0%
% Hispanic 4% 0%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 0%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

 USC Aiken Purdue Northwest
% In-State 87% 87%
% Out-of-State 11% 13%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Purdue University Northwest is larger than than USC Aiken based on total student enrollment (8,911 students vs. 3,840 students)

USC Aiken vs. Purdue Northwest Cost Comparison

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

  • University of South Carolina Aiken is 41% more expensive to attend than Purdue Northwest for in-state tuition ($10,398.00 vs. $7,373.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 45.2% higher at USC Aiken than Purdue University Northwest ($20,856.00 vs. $14,364.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Purdue University Northwest than USC Aiken ($9,162 vs. $11,872)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Northwest are 2% lower than costs at University of South Carolina Aiken ($8,215 vs. $8,376)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Carolina Aiken than Purdue University Northwest (100% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Carolina Aiken students is 39.9% larger than aid received Purdue University Northwest ($9,891 vs. $7,070)

USC Aiken vs. Purdue Northwest Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman USC Aiken students have at the same average high school GPA (3.19) as students at Purdue Northwest (3.19)
  • USC Aiken has a higher acceptance rate (75.6%) than Purdue Northwest (72.8%)

USC Aiken vs. Purdue Northwest Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USC Aiken or Purdue Northwest? 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 Purdue Northwest and USC Aiken.

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