Public · Spartanburg, South Carolina

University of South Carolina-Upstate

University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public institution in Spartanburg, South Carolina. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$13,557
Avg net price / yr
$48,587
10-yr median earnings
42.8%
150%-time completion
67.3%
Acceptance rate

The verdict

University of South Carolina-Upstate pairs above-median former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 31%
former-student earnings, US
67.3%
acceptance rate
42.8%
150%-time completion
+12%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Suburb: Midsize Carnegie: Bacc: Diverse
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this University of South Carolina-Upstate profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

D
College Value Score
49/100
University of South Carolina-Upstate

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings B-
$48,587
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C+
$13,557
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
42.8%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$22,310
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment C+
66.2%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
69.8%
First-year students returning for year two
University of South Carolina-Upstate vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$48,587

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$13,557

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

42.8%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 42.8%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - University of South Carolina-Upstate vs peers

University of South Carolina-Upstate positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. University of South Carolina-Upstate positio… Carnegie Classification: Bacc: Diverse Bacc: Dive… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $28K $51K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $2K $16K Avg Net Price ($) University of South Carolina-Upstate (you are here): $49K earn · $14K net · 43% grad You are here - University of Sout… Piedmont Technical College: $36K earn · $11K net · 33% grad Piedmont Technical… York Technical College: $37K earn · $6K net · 31% grad York Technical Col… Winthrop University: $47K earn · $15K net · 59% grad Winthrop University Lander University: $42K earn · $15K net · 49% grad Lander University Spartanburg Community College: $37K earn · $2K net · 29% grad Spartanburg Commun… Florence-Darlington Technical College: $33K earn · $2K net · 27% grad Spartanburg Methodist College: $43K earn · $15K net · 41% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How University of South Carolina-Upstate ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

University of South Carolina-Upstate: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$48,587 Top 31% higher than 69% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Metric University of South Carolina-Upstate National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $48,587 #1594 of 5103 69th
Average net price $13,557 #1814 of 5020 64th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 42.8% #3473 of 4858 29th
Undergraduate enrollment 4,038 #889 of 5462 84th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

4,038
Undergraduate enrollment
67.3%
Acceptance rate
1,099
SAT average
42.8%
150%-time completion
$48,587
10-yr median earnings
69.8%
First-year retention

How University of South Carolina-Upstate ranks in South Carolina

State rank among 78 reporting South Carolina colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric University of South Carolina-Upstate State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $48,587 #11 of 78 86th
Average net price $13,557 #28 of 82 66th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 42.8% #44 of 77 43rd
Undergraduate enrollment 4,038 #11 of 83 87th

Highest former-student earnings in South Carolina

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Medical University of South Carolina$88,420-
2Citadel Military College of South Carolina$72,085$20,723
3Clemson University$71,513$22,253
4Wofford College$68,964$18,732
5Furman University$68,635$30,308
6University of South Carolina-Columbia$62,177$22,811
7Galen Health Institutes-Myrtle Beach$61,480$25,662
8Presbyterian College$60,194$20,528
9College of Charleston$56,416$18,960
10Erskine College$53,459$16,525
11University of South Carolina-UpstateThis school$48,587$13,557
12University of South Carolina Beaufort$48,088$14,656

Admissions

Admission Rate 67.3%
SAT Average 1,099
SAT Math (25th-75th) 495 – 570
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 510 – 605
ACT Average 21
ACT (25th-75th) 21 – 26
0%100%67.3%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at University of South Carolina-Upstate

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at University of South Carolina-Upstate - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $11,588
Out-of-State Tuition $23,090
Average Net Price $13,557
46.2%
Pell Grant Rate
49.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$22,310
Median Debt
$237/mo
Monthly Payment

Net price at University of South Carolina-Upstate swings rather than trends

Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $13,392 to $15,832 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as +2.5%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.

Lowest year
$13,392
Highest year
$15,832
Most recent (2023)
$13,725
Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $13,3922014: $14,6592015: $14,1902016: $14,4782017: $14,8962018: $15,5062019: $15,8322020: $15,2272021: $14,6612022: $13,4662023: $13,725
2013 · $13,3922023 · $13,725

Over the same years, enrollment went -19.1% (4,952 → 4,008 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

68.5%
Female
35.1%
First Generation

Outcomes

69.8%
Retention Rate
$43,339
Median Earnings (6yr)
67.5%
Earning Over $25K
66.2%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 42.8%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 69.8%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $43,339
Median earnings 10 years after entry $48,587
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 67.5%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 66.2%
Median federal student debt At completion $22,310
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $237/mo

Programs & Earnings

Top programs at University of South Carolina-Upstate by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 309 $79,947 $18,000
Computer and Information Sciences, General Bachelor's 44 $67,286 $27,500
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 58 $61,967 $22,325
Criminal Justice and Corrections Bachelor's 103 $48,209 $23,655
Biology, General Bachelor's 28 $48,139 $22,225
Political Science and Government Bachelor's 19 $47,796 -
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's 69 $46,121 $24,450
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences Bachelor's 55 $45,761 $23,000
Psychology, General Bachelor's 81 $45,659 $24,094
Communication and Media Studies Bachelor's 55 $45,298 $25,200
Sociology Bachelor's 9 $43,745 $27,000
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's 76 $42,119 $24,812
English Language and Literature, General Bachelor's 12 $36,785 $18,671
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services Bachelor's 10 $36,368 $31,000
Fine and Studio Arts Bachelor's 22 $35,612 $21,042

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at University of South Carolina-Upstate?
University of South Carolina-Upstate is a public institution in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The acceptance rate is 67.3%. The average SAT score is 1,099. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,038 students.
How much do University of South Carolina-Upstate former students earn?
Federally aided former students at University of South Carolina-Upstate who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $48,587 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $43,339.
How much does University of South Carolina-Upstate cost?
The average net price at University of South Carolina-Upstate is $13,557. In-state tuition is $11,588 and out-of-state tuition is $23,090. Median student debt at graduation is $22,310.
What is the graduation rate at University of South Carolina-Upstate?
University of South Carolina-Upstate has a 42.8% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 69.8%.
Is University of South Carolina-Upstate worth the student debt?
The median student debt at University of South Carolina-Upstate is $22,310, while former students earn a median of $48,587 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 46% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 66.2% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $237.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Where to go next from University of South Carolina-Upstate

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.