USC Aiken vs. USC Beaufort

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

USC Aiken USC Beaufort
Location Aiken, SC Bluffton, SC
Setting Rural Fringe Distant Rural
Enrollment 3,840 2,124
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #888 #977
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usca.edu uscb.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USC Aiken USC Beaufort
Tuition (In State) $10,398 $10,344
Tuition (Out of State) $20,856 $21,390
Room & Board $8,376 $8,722
Avg Net Price $11,872 $16,113
Avg Grant Aid $9,891 $8,452
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 98%

Admission

USC Aiken USC Beaufort
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,453 2,479
Admitted 1,855 1,984
Acceptance Rate 75.6% 80%
Enrolled % 29.8% 24%
Avg High School GPA 3.19 3.82
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Easy Extremely Easy
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 17/22
SAT Range 950/1180 940/1110
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Aug 1, 2025

Academics

USC Aiken USC Beaufort
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (25%)
  • Education (14%)
  • Health Professions (12%)
  • Social Sciences (9%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (9%)
  • Business (37%)
  • Health Professions (15%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Psychology (10%)

Outcomes

USC Aiken USC Beaufort
Graduation Rate 41% 21%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,600 $36,700
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 50%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $24,474
Median Loan Payment $268 $253

Diversity

USC Aiken USC Beaufort
% Men 36% 32%
% Women 64% 68%
Racial Diversity High High
HBCU No No
% White 58% 57%
% Black 27% 22%
% Hispanic 4% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 2% 7%

Students

USC Aiken USC Beaufort
% In-State 87% 79%
% Out-of-State 11% 18%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of South Carolina Aiken is larger than than USC Beaufort based on total student enrollment (3,840 students vs. 2,124 students)

USC Aiken vs. USC Beaufort Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USC Aiken or USC Beaufort?

  • University of South Carolina Aiken is 0.5% more expensive to attend than USC Beaufort for in-state tuition ($10,398.00 vs. $10,344.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.6% higher at USC Beaufort than University of South Carolina Aiken ($21,390.00 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 USC Beaufort ($11,872 vs. $16,113)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Carolina Aiken are 4.1% lower than costs at University of South Carolina Beaufort ($8,376 vs. $8,722)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Carolina Aiken than University of South Carolina Beaufort (100% vs. 98%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Carolina Aiken students is 17% larger than aid received University of South Carolina Beaufort ($9,891 vs. $8,452)

USC Aiken vs. USC Beaufort Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of South Carolina Aiken (976) is 49 points higher than at USC Beaufort (927)
  • Incoming USC Aiken students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (21) than students at USC Beaufort (20)
  • Accepted freshman USC Beaufort students have a 0.63 point higher average high school GPA (3.82) than students at USC Aiken (3.19)
  • USC Beaufort has a higher acceptance rate (80%) than USC Aiken (75.6%)

USC Aiken vs. USC Beaufort Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, USC Aiken or USC Beaufort? 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 Beaufort and USC Aiken.

  • The graduation rate at USC Aiken is higher than University of South Carolina Beaufort (41% vs. 21%)
  • Graduates from University of South Carolina Aiken earn on average $2,900 more per year than USC Beaufort graduates after ten years. ($39,600 vs. $36,700)
  • University of South Carolina Beaufort students graduate with a $1,526 lower median federal student loan debt than USC Aiken graduates. ($24,474 vs. $26,000)
  • USC Beaufort graduates are paying $15 less per month on federal student loans than USC Aiken graduates. ($253 vs. $268)
  • More USC Aiken graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former USC Beaufort students, three years after graduation. (54% vs. 50%)

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