The University of South Carolina is home to more than 200 years of history and tradition, rising from a single building in 1805 on what would become the heart of the campus, the Horseshoe. The 11 buildings that now make up the Horseshoe frame a lush lawn that is an irresistible gathering place.
The university is expanding west toward the Congaree River in support of its research initiatives in nanotechnology, health sciences, Future Fuels™, the environment and information technologies. This innovation district, Innovista, includes a master plan for policy, physical infrastructure and support elements for job creation and growth in the knowledge economy. Innovista promises to be an economic catalyst that will raise the state’s per-capita income and quality of life by attracting knowledge-based businesses and high-paying jobs to an urban research university campus within a community that has a high livability appeal.
Joining the flagship campus in Columbia, are four-year campuses in Aiken, Beaufort and Upstate (Spartanburg andGreenville). Four two-year campuses in Lancaster, Sumter, Salkehatchie (Allendale and Walterboro) and Union help the university cover the state.
In addition, the University of South Carolina's:
- Columbia campus has 324 degree programs through its 14 degree-granting colleges and schools.
- Students have been awarded more than $16.7 million for national scholarships and fellowships since 1994.
- Faculty generated $238 million in funding for research, outreach and training programs in fiscal year 2012. Carolina is one of only 63 public universities listed by the Carnegie Foundation in the highest tier of research institutions in the U.S.
Mission statement - University
The university’s mission is to educate the state’s diverse population through teaching, research, creative activity and service.
Mission statement - Columbia campus
USC Columbia's mission is twofold: to establish and maintain excellence in its student population, faculty, academic programs, living and learning environment, technological infrastructure, library resources, research and scholarship, public and private support and endowment; and to enhance the industrial, economic and cultural potential of the state.
A recap of highlights of the past year from USC President Harris Pastides.
University statistical summary
The Office of Institutional Assessment and Compliance offers a variety of data, including a university fact book; statistics on enrollment, courses and degrees awarded; results of surveys of the Columbia campus by national, regional and state organizations; results of student and alumni surveys; and measures of university accountability, assessment and effectiveness.
In 2001, the university celebrated the bicentennial of its charter, but 2005 also marked a watershed anniversary: 200 years since the first classes began at South Carolina College, as it was then known. Carolina has endured the Civil War and Reconstruction, closings and name changes. Permanently chartered in 1906 as the University of South Carolina, it grew throughout the 20th century and today is building its reputation as a cutting-edge research institution.
The University of South Carolina's eight campuses and its alumni contribute $4.1 billion to South Carolina's economy, a 2011 study by the Research Division of the Moore School of Business finds.
The University of South Carolina serves the state from its flagship Columbia campus, three senior campuses and four regional campuses. The university is committed to serving the residents of South Carolina through its academic excellence and outreach. It has forged a variety of cooperative relationships with other academic institutions and health systems throughout the state and a number of international connections for academic exchange and collaborative research.
Accreditation of academic programs
A list of accreditations for the university's degree-granting colleges and schools.