University of South Carolina-Columbia (UofSC) vs Berkeley

Envision yourself immersed in the vibrant college towns of Columbia, South Carolina, and Berkeley, California, home to the esteemed University of South Carolina-Columbia and University of California-Berkeley, respectively. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique locations, student demographics, and academic strengths. Dive into our comprehensive comparison table to uncover the nuances that set these universities apart. Discover the differences in acceptance rates, tuition fees, popular majors, student body diversity, and graduation outcomes. Whether you're drawn to the allure of the Palmetto State or the charm of the Bay Area, this side-by-side analysis will guide you towards the institution that best aligns with your aspirations and goals.

	University of California-Berkeley	University of South Carolina-Columbia
Overview
Location	Berkeley, California	Columbia, South Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
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	96.0%	87.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	14.4%	61.6%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $70 Graduate: $120	Undergraduate: $65 Graduate: $50
SAT range	N/A	1150 - 1360
ACT range	N/A	26 - 31
Students submitting SAT score		38.0%
Students submitting ACT score		26.0%
Total number of applicants	112,843	42,045
Total number of admissions given out	16,295	25,884
Admitted students who chose to enroll	6,931	6,174
Yield rate	42.5%	23.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $37,920 Out of state: $67,674	In state: $29,398 Out of state: $50,638
Average net price	$17,652	$21,898
Tuition	In state: $11,442 Out of state: $41,196	In state: $12,288 Out of state: $33,528
Room & board	$20,236	Room/dormitory: $7,010 Meal plan: $3,980
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Other alternative tuition plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	52.0% Average amount $21,406	93.0% Average amount $7,055
Students receiving federal student loan	15.0% Average amount $4,586	48.0% Average amount $5,340
Students taking out private loans	6.0% Average amount $7,122	10.0% Average amount $17,657

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	31,814 Men 45.4% Women 54.6%	26,864 Men 44.9% Women 55.1%
Graduate students	13,222 Men 51.7% Women 48.3%	8,607 Men 37.4% Women 62.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Moderate	Low
Out-of-state students	16.9%	N/A
International students	18.0%	4.8%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	9,630	9,377
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	California New Jersey Texas Virginia New York	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Business Computer and Information Science Legal Profession Health Professions	Business Health Professions Education Engineering Communication and Journalism
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	18:1
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	92.8%	78.2%
Dropout rate	6.3%	5.3%
Transferred out	N/A	16.0%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $171,936 Year 3: $191,597 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $122,038 Year 3: $167,052 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $125,250 Year 2: $125,388 Year 3: $161,399 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $126,367 Year 2: $128,868 Year 3: $160,666 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $160,390 Year 2: $142,470 Year 3: $143,984 Information Science/Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $119,358 Year 3: $143,516 Chemistry (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $107,442 Year 2: $63,005 Year 3: $112,973 Optometry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $74,750 Year 2: $91,363 Year 3: $104,601 Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $95,600 Year 2: $85,760 Year 3: $103,738 Applied Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,282 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $102,543	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $102,315 Year 2: $132,531 Year 3: $124,225 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $103,612 Year 2: $114,145 Year 3: $117,580 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $104,414 Year 2: $95,102 Year 3: $107,403 Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,505 Year 2: $91,986 Year 3: $97,806 International Business (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $82,202 Year 2: $90,049 Year 3: $93,323 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,370 Year 2: $70,680 Year 3: $79,846 Public Health (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $69,338 Year 3: $77,526 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $71,229 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $76,713 International Business (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,365 Year 2: $70,776 Year 3: $73,730 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,632 Year 2: $66,670 Year 3: $72,857

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