Public · University

University of South Carolina-Upstate

Spartanburg, South Carolina · Midsize suburb

67.3%
Admit rate
$13,557
Avg net price
43%
Graduation rate
$48,587
Median earnings

University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Spartanburg, South Carolina (midsize suburb setting), enrolling 4,038 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 4,038 undergradsMidsize suburbAccessible · 67% admitNCAA Division I without footballCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against University of South Carolina-Upstate's admitted students.

Admit rate
67.3%
SAT (mid 50%)
1005–1175
Avg GPA (est.)
3.20

Enter a test score to see where you land against University of South Carolina-Upstate's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and University of South Carolina-Upstate's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Spartanburg, South Carolina

Spartanburg, also known as "Sparkle City", is a city in and the county seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. Spartanburg was formed in 1785 after a deal was made with the Cherokee in 1753, and was named after a local militia in the American Revolutionary War, the Spartan Regiment. The regiment, commanded by Andrew Pickens, participated in the Battle of Cowpens. Chapman Cultural Center, Spartanburg's cultural anchor for history, art, theatre, dance, music, and science, is in a three-building complex on the northern edge of downtown. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
181 miles
Nearest airport
16 miles to Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP)

How University of South Carolina-Upstate compares

Selectivity67.3%

More selective than 68% · #12 most selective of 29 in South Carolina

SAT average1099

Higher than 30%

Graduation rate43%

Higher than 28% · #23 of 35 in South Carolina

First-year retention70%

Higher than 30%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$48,587

Higher than 35% · #10 of 35 in South Carolina

Average net price$13,557

Cheaper than 78% · #6 cheapest of 35 in South Carolina

Median debt at graduation$22,310

Lower than 57%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 35%

Undergraduate enrollment4,038

Larger than 74%

Percentiles compare University of South Carolina-Upstate with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in South Carolina.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

4,467students
  • Undergraduate4,03890%
  • Graduate42910%

Undergraduates by gender

4,038undergrads
  • Women2,76568%
  • Men1,27332%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White47%
  • Black34%
  • Hispanic8.7%
  • Asian2.9%
  • Other or multiracial7.8%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
4,038
Graduate enrollment
429
Student–faculty ratio
15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
46%
First-generation students
35%
Students over 25
17%
Median family income
$37,445
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$75,708
Endowment
$13,988,361

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

Where students come from

Home state of the 674 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From South Carolina89%
  • Other U.S. states9.5%
  • International1.5%

Most first-years stay in state — University of South Carolina-Upstate draws overwhelmingly from South Carolina.

2% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
67.3%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1005–1175
SAT average
1099
SAT reading
510–605
SAT math
495–570
ACT composite
21–26
Average GPA (estimated)
3.20

Cost

In-state tuition
$11,588
Out-of-state tuition
$23,090
Room & board
$10,533
Books & supplies
$1,600
Total cost of attendance
$25,124
Average net price
$13,557

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)
43%
Graduated on time (4 years)
29%
First-year retention
70%
Transferred to another college
35%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$43,339
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$48,587
Median debt at graduation
$22,310
Students with federal loans
49%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
46%

About 15% 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)

All students
29%
Low-income (Pell)
52%
First-generation
51%

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
Yes
Dorm capacity
904
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
22%
Housing charge (year)
$6,014
Meal plan (year)
$4,026
Application fee
$45
Athletics
NCAA Division I without football
Varsity athletes
401 (229 men · 172 women)

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%.

Varsity sports (7)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)195
Soccer71
Baseball47
Basketball31
Softball24
Golf17
Volleyball16

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
10
Property offenses (2022–2024)
4

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (4,916 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.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

4.7reported offenses a year
3.3 violent a year1.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
3.0
Burglary
1.3
Robbery
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

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.

< $30k
$11,618
$30–48k
$11,537
$48–75k
$13,394
$75–110k
$17,356
$110k+
$19,325

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.

Est. total to a degree
$60,349

$13,394/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.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

40%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$4,128
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 40% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $4,128. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 685 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$48,587
Typical debt at graduation
$22,310
Debt vs. one year's pay
46%
Out-earn a HS grad
63%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.6 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$46,256
Men
$53,531

Men out-earn women by $7,275 (16%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
90°F
Winter low
32°F
Annual rain
50.2″
Annual snow
0.8″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Spartanburg 3 Sse, SC US station (6.9 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to University of South Carolina-Upstate

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare University of South Carolina-Upstate side by side →

Colleges near University of South Carolina-Upstate

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.