UC Riverside vs. UofSC

Should I go to University of California Riverside or University of South Carolina Columbia? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Riverside or UofSC 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 California Riverside vs. University of South Carolina Columbia comparison
University of California Riverside University of South Carolina Columbia College 3 College 4
University of California Riverside University of South Carolina Columbia
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Overview

 UC Riverside UofSC
Location Riverside, CA Columbia, SC
Setting Large City Midsize City
Enrollment 26,809 35,653
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #272 #208
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu sc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Riverside UofSC
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,288
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $33,528
Room & Board $17,333 $11,780
Avg Net Price $14,487 $22,427
Avg Grant Aid $22,042 $6,880
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 98%

Admission

 UC Riverside UofSC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 54,683 42,188
Admitted 37,563 27,022
Acceptance Rate 68.7% 64.1%
Enrolled % 14.8% 24.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.69
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low Low
ACT Range 22/31 27/32
SAT Range 1080/1280 1180/1380
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2023 Dec 1, 2023

Academics

 UC Riverside UofSC
Student to Faculty Ratio 24:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (35%)
  • Biology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

 UC Riverside UofSC
Graduation Rate 67% 70%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $51,700
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $23,250
Median Loan Payment $197 $240

Diversity

 UC Riverside UofSC
% Men 49% 42%
% Women 51% 58%
Racial Diversity Very High Low
HBCU No No
% White 13% 77%
% Black 4% 10%
% Hispanic 36% 4%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 4%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 UC Riverside UofSC
% In-State 94% 52%
% Out-of-State 2% 47%

Campus

 UC Riverside UofSC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of South Carolina Columbia is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (35,653 students vs. 26,809 students)

UC Riverside vs. UofSC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or UofSC?

  • University of South Carolina Columbia is 6.3% more expensive to attend than UC Riverside for in-state tuition ($12,288.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 24.2% higher at UC Riverside than University of South Carolina Columbia ($41,636.00 vs. $33,528.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of California Riverside than UofSC ($14,487 vs. $22,427)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Carolina Columbia are 47.1% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($11,780 vs. $17,333)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of South Carolina Columbia than University of California Riverside (98% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 220.4% larger than aid received University of South Carolina Columbia ($22,042 vs. $6,880)

UC Riverside vs. UofSC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of South Carolina Columbia (1220) is 101 points higher than at UC Riverside (1119)
  • Incoming UofSC students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UC Riverside (26)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.15 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at UofSC (3.69)
  • UC Riverside has a higher acceptance rate (68.7%) than UofSC (64.1%)

UC Riverside vs. UofSC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside or UofSC? 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 UofSC and UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UofSC is higher than University of California Riverside (70% vs. 67%)
  • Graduates from University of California Riverside earn on average $500 more per year than UofSC graduates after ten years. ($52,200 vs. $51,700)
  • University of California Riverside students graduate with a $4,141 lower median federal student loan debt than UofSC graduates. ($19,109 vs. $23,250)
  • UC Riverside graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than UofSC graduates. ($197 vs. $240)
  • More UofSC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

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