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The real 4-year cost of University of South Carolina-Columbia in South Carolina
Over the 18 years from 2008 to 2026, published tuition and required fees at University of South Carolina-Columbia went from $8,838 to $13,542, an average of 1.5% a year. The 2026–27 figure is the school's own announced rate.
2026–27 rate announced: $13,542Base tuition plus technology, health center, athletics, and student union expansion fees for full-time students. In-state tuition frozen for 8th consecutive year.source
Read with care: this school's history shows a tuition freeze or guarantee, so a smooth projection may not hold.
2008–2030: history and projection
| Year | Published | Projected estimate | Estimate range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | $8,838 | – | – |
| 2009 | $9,156 | – | – |
| 2010 | $9,786 | – | – |
| 2011 | $10,168 | – | – |
| 2012 | $10,488 | – | – |
| 2013 | $10,816 | – | – |
| 2014 | $11,158 | – | – |
| 2015 | $11,482 | – | – |
| 2016 | $11,454 | – | – |
| 2017 | $11,862 | – | – |
| 2018 | $12,616 | – | – |
| 2019 | $12,688 | – | – |
| 2020 | $12,688 | – | – |
| 2021 | $12,688 | – | – |
| 2022 | $12,688 | – | – |
| 2023 | $12,688 | – | – |
| 2026 | $13,542 | $13,542 | – |
| 2027 | – | $13,747 | $13,451–$14,042 |
| 2028 | – | $13,954 | $13,361–$14,560 |
| 2029 | – | $14,165 | $13,272–$15,098 |
| 2030 | – | $14,379 | $13,183–$15,655 |
If you pay full sticker
Projected tuition + fees, entering fall 2026.
| Year 1 | $13,542 |
| Year 2 | $13,747 |
| Year 3 | $13,954 |
| Year 4 | $14,165 |
| 4-year total | $55,408 |
Two aid scenarios
4-year out-of-pocket total.
- $10,000/yr flat scholarship
- $15,408
- Flat aid doesn't grow, so it covers less each year.
- 50%-of-tuition scholarship
- $28,578
- Percentage aid keeps pace with tuition.
On-campus housing & meals
Room & board (housing plus the standard meal plan), on top of tuition.
- Announced 2026–27
- $17,334/ yr
- rising 5.3% / yr
- Projected 4-year add-on
- $74,991
School’s own published rateHousing $11,432 + food $5,902, living on campus.source
Books & supplies typically add ~$1,200 a year (national median, not included).
Housing here has kept rising even while tuition was frozen; the creep moved to room & board.
Run your own numbers
Enter your actual scholarship offer to see your real 4-year total.
See my 4-year cost at University of South Carolina-Columbia4-year schools with similar prices in South Carolina
Closest to University of South Carolina-Columbia by published tuition and fees. Similar sticker prices can still compound very differently.
- Strayer University-South Carolina$13,920
- College of Charleston$12,978
- Allen University$14,304
- Voorhees University$12,630
- Citadel Military College of South Carolina$12,570
- Clemson University$15,120
- Lander University$11,700
- Coastal Carolina University$11,640
Use this data
Published figures for University of South Carolina-Columbia from federal IPEDS data through 2023, free to download or embed with attribution. The embed stays current as the data updates.