University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) vs Harvey Mudd College

When it comes to higher education, University of South Carolina Aiken and Harvey Mudd College stand out as two distinct institutions with unique offerings. USC Aiken, a public university in South Carolina, boasts an acceptance rate of 86%, making it a more accessible option for students. In contrast, Harvey Mudd College, a private liberal arts college in California, has a highly selective admissions process with an acceptance rate of just 14%. Both institutions offer a diverse range of undergraduate programs, with USC Aiken excelling in fields like business, education, and nursing, while Harvey Mudd College is renowned for its strengths in science, engineering, and mathematics. While USC Aiken's student body is predominantly composed of in-state students, Harvey Mudd College attracts a more diverse student population from across the country and around the world. With USC Aiken's graduation rate at 49% and Harvey Mudd College's at an impressive 93%, both institutions provide ample opportunities for students to succeed and achieve their academic goals

	Harvey Mudd College	University of South Carolina Aiken
Overview
Location	Claremont, California	Aiken, South Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	98.0%	59.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	10.0%	83.5%
Application fees	$70	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	1480 - 1560	960 - 1170
ACT range	34 - 36	16 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	40.0%	43.0%
Students submitting ACT score	20.0%	29.0%
Total number of applicants	4,737	1,808
Total number of admissions given out	473	1,510
Admitted students who chose to enroll	225	526
Yield rate	47.6%	34.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not required	Required
Recommendation letters	Required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$82,236	In state: $24,928 Out of state: $35,386
Average net price	$33,838	$12,514
Tuition	$60,402	In state: $10,398 Out of state: $20,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $10,592 Meal plan: $8,741	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)	63.0% Average amount $32,188	95.0% Average amount $7,746
Students receiving federal student loan	38.0% Average amount $4,821	50.0% Average amount $4,789
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $9,820	4.0% Average amount $8,017

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	905 Men 50.3% Women 49.7%	3,101 Men 35.0% Women 65.0%
Graduate students	N/A	768 Men 33.5% Women 66.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	N/A	8.8%
International students	8.5%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	926	986
First year students are required to live on campus?	Yes	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	South Carolina Georgia North Carolina Florida Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Computer and Information Science Multidisciplinary Studies Physical Science Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	9:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	94.4%	42.9%
Dropout rate	0.5%	15.6%
Transferred out	4.7%	38.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Mathematics and Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $118,973 Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $166,134 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $123,339 Year 2: $142,581 Year 3: $159,657 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $81,948 Year 2: $81,997 Year 3: $90,517	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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Harvey Mudd College

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