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Move-in 2026, by the numbers

A look at the incoming freshmen class and how USC supports them

The USC Horseshoe during fall.
Posted on: July 29, 2026; Updated on: July 29, 2026
By Hunter Mutherspaw, muthersh@mailbox.sc.edu

Behind every new student arrival is a campus-wide effort to make move-in a success. As thousands of new Gamecocks begin their USC journey this month, these numbers highlight the scale of the incoming class, the resources dedicated to welcoming and supporting students and the impact they will have on campus life. 

Welcoming students 

  • More than 40,000 — Total enrollment on the USC Columbia campus
  • 7,800 — Estimated freshmen entering the University of South Carolina this fall
  • 4,100 — Estimated South Carolina residents in the incoming freshman class, representing all 46 counties
  • 50 — Estimated sets of twins entering the University of South Carolina as freshmen this fall
  • 45 — States represented by this fall's incoming freshman class
  • 2,100 — High schools represented by this fall's incoming freshman class
  • 21% — Freshmen class that is first-generation students
  • 9,200 — Students projected to live on campus
  • 4,329 — Undergraduate students participating in specialized residence hall communities, including Honors
  • 313 — First-floor residence hall meetings held to welcome students and build community
  • 22,813 — Door decorations, bulletin boards and hall decorations prepared across residence halls

Connecting and growing

  • 16 — Carolina Experience Peer Leaders supporting students during the 2025–26 academic year
  • 448 — Students serving as Peer Leaders providing peer-to-peer support during the 2025–26 academic year
  • 738 — Peer leader appointments completed with students
  • 133 — Carolina Experience events offered
  • 60,984 — Student engagements with the Student Success Center through Peer Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, Success Coaching and other support services
  • 2,786 — First- and second-year Capstone Scholars
  • 3.76 — Average GPA among Capstone Scholars
  • 85 — Capstone Scholars who studied abroad through Capstone Scholar education abroad programs
  • 1,079 hours — Service completed through Capstone Scholars service events
  • 172 — Exchange students who joined USC in the 2025–26 academic year
  • 2,824 — Undergraduate students who studied abroad in the 2026–26 academic year

Delivering campus essentials

  • 163,400 — Packages picked up from the Student Mail Center
  • 25,000 — Packages picked up from Russell House and Campus Village lockers
  • 40% — Packages received from Amazon

Feeding the crowds

  • 6 — Dining halls 
  • 36 — campus food retail locations
  • 1,000+ — Carolina Food Co. associates supporting campus dining, including 260 student employees and 15 chefs
  • 7 — Local restaurant and food truck partners featured through Restaurant Row
  • 4.041 million — Grubhub orders placed during the 2025–26 academic year
  • 241 — Dining events and promotions held throughout the year
  • 20 — Delivery robots serving 68 campus locations
  • 98,840 pounds — Chicken fingers served during the academic year (about 790,720 chicken fingers)
  • 118.41 tons — Waste diverted from landfills through composting efforts

Health and wellness

  • 13,518 — Students receiving health or wellness visits through Student Health Services
  • 78,508 — Total Student Health Services visits
  • 1,779 — Flu shots administered
  • 19,677 — Prescriptions filled at the campus pharmacy
  • 703,920 — Visits to the Wellness & Fitness Center and Blatt PE Center
  • 3,580 — Students who attended Group X fitness classes, with 41,161 total class participations
  • 1,064 — Students participating in intramural sports, with 2,941 games played
  • 216 — Students who participated in an adventure trip
  • 3,745 — Times the climbing wall was climbed by students

Learning and studying

  • 879,314 — Visitors to Thomas Cooper Library
  • 20,189 — Students attending library instruction sessions
  • 183,673 — Library materials checked out, including 152,000 ebook uses
  • 43,554 — Study room reservations made
  • 4 million — Database searches through USC Libraries
  • 2 million — Digital collections visits through USC Libraries
  • 5,762 — Technology devices checked out through Thomas Cooper Library

Gamecock spirit and campus life

  • 75,132 — Student tickets scanned for seven home football games
  • 175,946 — Student tickets distributed for football, baseball and men’s and women’s basketball
  • 66,448 — Commencement guest tickets distributed
  • 2,987,506 — Visitors recorded at Russell House from July 2025 – June 2026
  • 10,471 — Events hosted at Russell House
  • 550 — Firework cannons launched at Gamecock Entertainment events

Making an impact

  • 10,000 — Students affiliated with fraternity and sorority organizations
  • 292,894 hours — Community service completed
  • $1,440,636 — Philanthropic contributions raised
  • 605 — Veterans, active-duty, Reserve and National Guard students enrolled during the 2025–26 academic year
  • 2,194 — Students who used Tuition Assistance or VA education benefits, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Montgomery GI Bill, Veteran Readiness and Employment and other VA education programs
  • 57 — Students commissioned as military officers during Spring 2026 commencement
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