University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) vs Coastal Carolina University

When it comes to higher education in South Carolina, University of South Carolina Aiken (USC Aiken) and Coastal Carolina University (CCU) stand out as two prominent choices. Both institutions offer a diverse range of academic programs, vibrant campus life, and opportunities for personal growth. However, there are some key differences between the two universities that prospective students should consider. USC Aiken, located in the historic city of Aiken, has a smaller student body and a higher acceptance rate compared to CCU. It excels in liberal arts and sciences, nursing, and business programs. CCU, situated in the coastal town of Conway, boasts a larger student population and a lower acceptance rate. It is renowned for its strong programs in hospitality, tourism, and the arts. To help you make an informed decision, we have compiled a comprehensive comparison table that delves into the specifics of each university, including acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the table to discover which institution aligns best with your

	Coastal Carolina University	University of South Carolina Aiken
Overview
Location	Conway, South Carolina	Aiken, South Carolina
Campus setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	72.0%	59.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	79.1%	83.5%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	1030 - 1190	960 - 1170
ACT range	20 - 25	16 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	29.0%	43.0%
Students submitting ACT score	13.0%	29.0%
Total number of applicants	15,481	1,808
Total number of admissions given out	12,251	1,510
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,519	526
Yield rate	20.6%	34.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $26,318 Out of state: $42,072	In state: $24,928 Out of state: $35,386
Average net price	$14,956	$12,514
Tuition	In state: $11,460 Out of state: $27,214	In state: $10,398 Out of state: $20,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,440 Meal plan: $3,928	Room/dormitory: $5,316 Meal plan: $2,886
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	91.0% Average amount $9,834	95.0% Average amount $7,746
Students receiving federal student loan	60.0% Average amount $5,848	50.0% Average amount $4,789
Students taking out private loans	16.0% Average amount $20,291	4.0% Average amount $8,017

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	9,790 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%	3,101 Men 35.0% Women 65.0%
Graduate students	683 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	768 Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	60.2%	8.8%
International students	1.2%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	4,728	986
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Maryland	South Carolina Georgia North Carolina Florida Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business Communication and Journalism	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	51.2%	42.9%
Dropout rate	11.4%	15.6%
Transferred out	36.7%	38.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,378 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $69,235 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,086 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $61,332 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,114 Year 2: $53,497 Year 3: $60,248 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,888 Year 2: $65,750 Year 3: $59,685 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,976 Year 2: $34,704 Year 3: $44,693 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,824 Year 2: $42,873 Year 3: $44,446 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,464 Year 2: $37,856 Year 3: $44,425 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $37,250 Year 2: $38,168 Year 3: $43,145 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $42,430 Year 2: $38,597 Year 3: $42,978 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,101 Year 2: $36,423 Year 3: $42,472	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,627 Year 2: $60,689 Year 3: $61,889 Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $50,439 Year 3: $55,200 Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $26,411 Year 2: $33,993 Year 3: $42,700 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,701 Year 2: $37,748 Year 3: $41,808 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,954 Year 2: $35,559 Year 3: $34,839 Sociology (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,491 Year 2: $29,995 Year 3: $33,473 Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,013 Year 2: $26,121 Year 3: $32,520 Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $15,167 Year 2: $17,551 Year 3: $22,590 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,827 Year 2: $30,650 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,139 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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