University of
South Carolina-Sumter
Public Community College in Sumter, SC. Six-year graduation rate 39%. Median 10-year earnings $42,437.
The median ten-year earnings figure of $42,437 sits near the national middle rather than at either extreme. The six-year graduation rate is 39% — low enough that finishing cannot be treated as the default outcome. Median debt at graduation is $9,250, a light load against those earnings.
Earnings: College Scorecard, median ten years after entry across students who received federal aid — completers and non-completers alike.
- ✓ Debt-to-income ratio 0.22 — healthy (below the 0.40 threshold)
- ✓ 3-year loan default 0.0% — below national benchmark
Admissions
An acceptance rate of 74% puts University of South Carolina-Sumter on the accessible end — a realistic target for a broad range of applicants. Only 717 students applied, so treat these rates as directional — small pools swing sharply between cycles. 54% of admitted students actually enroll, which is a high yield by national standards.
Test score bands (middle 50% of submitters)
These bands describe the enrolled first-years who submitted a score, not the entering class. Where most students apply test-optional the submitters are a self-selected, higher-scoring group.
| Test | 25th–75th percentile | Submitted |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading | — | — |
| SAT Math | — | |
| ACT Composite | — | — |
IPEDS Admissions · 2024
Apply at University of South Carolina-Sumter →Academics
Only 39% finish within six years, so roughly three in five students leave without the credential. Retention is weak: only 59% of full-time first-years return, so roughly two in five leave after one year. Retention and graduation track closely, so most of the attrition shows up in the first year rather than after it. The 35% transfer-out rate is high enough that a large share of this school's students are really passing through. The student-faculty ratio is 18:1 — typical, which in practice means large lectures early and smaller classes in the major.
Financial Aid
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · grant and loan rates against 631 degree- or certificate-seeking undergraduates
Students pay an average of $8,903 annually, well below typical undergraduate net price. Net price varies modestly by income — $5,894 at $0–30k against $12,380 at $110k+ — so the average is a fair guide for most families. 82% of students receive grant aid, averaging $6,883 — common but not automatic. About 26% borrow federally, roughly the national pattern.
Entering first-year students
A different, smaller group than the rates above: full-time students in their first year of college anywhere. The grant series here also excludes the "other sources" counted in the all-undergraduate figure, so the two are not comparable.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24 · 273 students
Net price by family income
The same students as the headline above, limited to those who received Title IV federal aid — a narrower group, with a lower overall average. IPEDS publishes no combined figure across these bands, so they should not be averaged into one.
| Family income band | Average net price |
|---|---|
| $0–30k | $5,894 |
| $30–48k | $5,582 |
| $48–75k | $8,586 |
| $75–110k | $11,560 |
| $110k+ | $12,380 |
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Federal student loans went to 164 of these 631 students, totalling $856,424 — an average of $5,222 each.
IPEDS Student Financial Aid · 2023-24
Local housing costs
Typical rents near campus (Sumter County) — budget these against any cost-of-attendance housing estimate.
HUD Fair Market Rents (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities) · FY2026
Veterans & GI Bill
VA GI Bill Comparison Tool (Veterans Affairs GIDS)