South University-Columbia

Student body

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment

450

Graduate enrollment

54

Student–faculty ratio

21 : 1

Pell Grant recipients

58%

First-generation students

47%

Students over 25

76%

Median family income

$20,000

Avg faculty salary (academic year)

$63,675

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Cost

In-state tuition

$18,145

Room & board

—

Books & supplies

$540

Total cost of attendance

$35,322

Average net price

$27,693

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)

23%

Graduated on time (4 years)

16%

First-year retention

57%

Transferred to another college

3%

Median earnings, 6 years after entry

$34,115

Median earnings, 10 years after entry

$34,421

Median debt at graduation

$26,123

Students with federal loans

65%

Paying down their loans (1 year in)

19%

About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing

No

Application fee

$75

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Campus safety

Safety grade

A

Reported offenses per 1,000 students

0.0 / year

Violent offenses (2022–2024)

0

Property offenses (2022–2024)

0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (504 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

$32,022/year × about 4.5 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.