University of South Carolina Aiken (USCA) vs Pitzer College

When it comes to higher education, the University of South Carolina Aiken and Pitzer College stand out as two distinct institutions with unique offerings. USC Aiken, a public university in South Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate and a larger student body, while Pitzer College, a private liberal arts college in California, offers a more selective admissions process and a smaller, more intimate learning environment. Both schools excel in different areas, with USC Aiken excelling in nursing and education programs and Pitzer College excelling in social sciences and environmental studies. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about the acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates of these two esteemed institutions, and make an informed decision about which one aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Pitzer 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	93.0%	59.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	18.3%	83.5%
Application fees	$70	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $45
SAT range	N/A	960 - 1170
ACT range	N/A	16 - 23
Students submitting SAT score		43.0%
Students submitting ACT score		29.0%
Total number of applicants	3,676	1,808
Total number of admissions given out	673	1,510
Admitted students who chose to enroll	357	526
Yield rate	53.0%	34.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	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	$74,950	In state: $24,928 Out of state: $35,386
Average net price	$19,153	$12,514
Tuition	$57,686	In state: $10,398 Out of state: $20,856
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $11,282 Meal plan: $7,898	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)	42.0% Average amount $39,399	95.0% Average amount $7,746
Students receiving federal student loan	24.0% Average amount $3,323	50.0% Average amount $4,789
Students taking out private loans	1.0% Average amount $14,063	4.0% Average amount $8,017

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,168 Men 41.4% Women 58.6%	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	7.2%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	Suburb: Large
Dormitory capacity	972	986
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	South Carolina Georgia North Carolina Florida Maryland

Academics
Popular study areas	Multidisciplinary Studies Social Sciences Biological and Biomedical Sciences Mathematics and Statistics Ethnic Studies	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	12:1	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	88.4%	42.9%
Dropout rate	11.2%	15.6%
Transferred out	N/A	38.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,150 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,378 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A	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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