Overview
An Overview of the University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina - Columbia is a flagship institution serving a diverse population in the Southeast of more than 27,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. USC is a public coeducational institution and is a major research center for the state; in fact, it is one of only 23 public universities - and the only one in South Carolina - recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for "very high research activity" and "curricular engagement, outreach, and partnerships."
Though the campus is a major research institution, USC manages to keep class sizes small. Sixty-five percent of courses taken by freshmen have 25 or fewer students, and only 2.9 percent of courses taken by freshmen have more than 100 students.
Located in the capital city of Columbia, the University of South Carolina is ideal for students participating in internships or seeking part-time employment. Approximately 70 percent of undergraduate students are South Carolina residents, while nonresident students represent all 50 states and more than 100 countries.
Recent rankings in both Kaplan Publishing's "The Unofficial, Unbiased Guide to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges" and Kiplinger's "Personal Finance Magazine" cited USC as number 35 in the nation in their lists for the "100 Best Values in Public Colleges." In fall 2008, over 90 percent of freshmen received some form of financial aid.
Undergraduate Programs of Study
USC is a comprehensive public university, which offers more than 350 degree programs and over 80 undergraduate majors. The University of South Carolina also has a graduate school; schools for law, nursing, journalism, international business, public health, and medicine; programs for marine biology, computer science, nursing, and pharmacy; and advanced professional degrees. Some of the most notable and popular undergraduate majors include business, biology, journalism, psychology, sport and entertainment management, and public health.
The Moore School of Business has 12 consecutive No. 1 rankings for the undergraduate program and 19 consecutive years with the No. 1 or No. 2 overall ranking for the graduate program. The school's overall ranking from U.S. News and World Report is 24th among public universities in "Best Business Programs."
Academics at the University of South Carolina
At the University of South Carolina, faculty and staff are committed to helping students learn. Students are not just a number at USC. There are numerous resources designed to help students be academically and personally successful.
The University 101 Program has been consistently named as one of the top programs in the nation for helping first-year students connect to life at USC. More than 90 percent of new Gamecocks take this three-credit course during their first year, and all University 101 classes are geared toward helping students adjust to the college environment.
The Student Success Center provides supplemental instruction for historically difficult courses, houses a first-year call center, and provides tutoring services.
The Magellan Scholar Program offers students the opportunity to participate in research with professors. Over the past ten years, the Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs has helped hundreds of South Carolina students win national fellowships and scholarships such as the Rhodes, Truman, Fulbright, and Goldwater awards.
University of South Carolina Campus, Resources, and Organizations
The University of South Carolina provides an abundance of amenities to enhance the living and learning environment of its student body. On-campus housing offers a variety of residence halls, including honors housing, health and wellness-focused housing, international housing, and a residential college with live-in faculty members.
All students are encouraged to participate in at least one of the more than 300 student organizations on campus. On the recreational side, there are more than 25 intramural leagues, tournaments, and events, which collectively accommodate over 1,000 individual teams. The university's varsity athletic teams, the Gamecocks, compete in Division I of the NCAA and play national schedules as part of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
In addition, Columbia, SC, offers a wide variety of restaurants, entertainment, and shopping, all within walking distance of the campus. Columbia is the home of a philharmonic orchestra, a symphony, ballet and dance companies, and theaters and galleries.
Described as one of the most beautiful college campuses in America, the historic original campus is surrounded by restored nineteenth-century buildings and shaded by ancient oaks. Spreading out from the Horseshoe for more than 38 city blocks, the rest of the campus is composed of contemporary facilities in landscaped settings.
The University of South Carolina has also earned a top "green" rating by the Princeton Review, scoring 95 out of a possible 99.The university was rated higher than all public colleges in South Carolina. USC has strengthened its commitment to sustainability and taken steps at every level of campus to create a community that is healthier and more engaged in environmental matters.
