USC Aiken vs. ETSU

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

USC Aiken ETSU
Location Aiken, SC Johnson City, TN
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 3,840 13,483
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #888 #652
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website usca.edu etsu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

USC Aiken ETSU
Tuition (In State) $10,398 $7,722
Tuition (Out of State) $20,856 $11,532
Room & Board $8,376 $9,613
Avg Net Price $11,872 $14,350
Avg Grant Aid $9,891 $8,739
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

USC Aiken ETSU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 2,453 9,609
Admitted 1,855 8,193
Acceptance Rate 75.6% 85.3%
Enrolled % 29.8% 25.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.19 3.33
Typical High School Grades B B+
Admissions Standards Easy Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/24 19/26
SAT Range 950/1180 980/1190
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, 2024

Academics

USC Aiken ETSU
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%)
  • Health Professions (20%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Education (6%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (5%)

Outcomes

USC Aiken ETSU
Graduation Rate 41% 44%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,600 $40,000
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 50%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $268 $211

Diversity

USC Aiken ETSU
% Men 36% 37%
% Women 64% 63%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 58% 82%
% Black 27% 7%
% Hispanic 4% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

USC Aiken ETSU
% In-State 87% 75%
% Out-of-State 11% 23%

Campus

USC Aiken ETSU
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

  • East Tennessee State University is larger than than USC Aiken based on total student enrollment (13,483 students vs. 3,840 students)

USC Aiken vs. ETSU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, USC Aiken or ETSU?

  • University of South Carolina Aiken is 34.7% more expensive to attend than ETSU for in-state tuition ($10,398.00 vs. $7,722.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 80.9% higher at USC Aiken than East Tennessee State University ($20,856.00 vs. $11,532.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of South Carolina Aiken than ETSU ($11,872 vs. $14,350)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of South Carolina Aiken are 14.8% lower than costs at East Tennessee State University ($8,376 vs. $9,613)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at University of South Carolina Aiken as East Tennessee State University (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of South Carolina Aiken students is 13.2% larger than aid received East Tennessee State University ($9,891 vs. $8,739)

USC Aiken vs. ETSU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at East Tennessee State University (1068) is 92 points higher than at USC Aiken (976)
  • Incoming ETSU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at USC Aiken (21)
  • Accepted freshman ETSU students have a 0.14 point higher average high school GPA (3.33) than students at USC Aiken (3.19)
  • ETSU has a higher acceptance rate (85.3%) than USC Aiken (75.6%)

USC Aiken vs. ETSU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at ETSU is higher than University of South Carolina Aiken (44% vs. 41%)
  • Graduates from East Tennessee State University earn on average $400 more per year than USC Aiken graduates after ten years. ($40,000 vs. $39,600)
  • East Tennessee State University students graduate with a $5,500 lower median federal student loan debt than USC Aiken graduates. ($20,500 vs. $26,000)
  • ETSU graduates are paying $57 less per month on federal student loans than USC Aiken graduates. ($211 vs. $268)
  • More USC Aiken graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former ETSU 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/