1.  [College research](/)
2.  /
3.  [University of South Carolina-Upstate](/school/university-of-south-carolina-upstate/)
4.  /
5.  Cost & financial aid brief

Cost & financial aid brief

Copy linkPrint brief

# University of South Carolina-Upstate Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid

Updated October 21, 2026

[Overview](/school/university-of-south-carolina-upstate/)Cost & aid[Outcomes](/school/university-of-south-carolina-upstate/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/university-of-south-carolina-upstate/admissions/)[Majors](/school/university-of-south-carolina-upstate/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-south-carolina-upstate/similar/)

**On this page**+

## How much does University of South Carolina-Upstate cost after financial aid?

University of South Carolina-Upstate publishes a cost of attendance of $25,124. In-state tuition and fees are $11,588, and room and board adds $10,533.

Out-of-state students see a higher tuition figure of $23,090. After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients is $13,557.

That is $511 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). The average aid package cuts the sticker price by $11,567.

Azimuth ranks the university #298 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Aid recipients at University of South Carolina-Upstate pay an average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) of $13,557, which is $511 below the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). For affordability, the university lands in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The median federal student debt among completing borrowers is $22,310, $1,081 above the peer median. Average net prices range from $11,618 for families earning under $30,000 to $19,325 for those earning over $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,707.

After grants and scholarships, aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average $11,618. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is $11,537 for the $30,001–$48,000 band, $13,394 for the $48,001–$75,000 band, $17,356 for the $75,001–$110,000 band, and $19,325 for families earning over $110,000.

46.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, providing context for the lowest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,707.

Average net price by family income

**$0–30K**
$11,618

**$30–48K**
$11,537

**$48–75K**
$13,394

**$75–110K**
$17,356

**$110K+**
$19,325

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Overall average annual net price: **$13,557**. After grants and scholarships, including living costs. [Source and coverage](#cost-data-notes).

The average aid recipient at University of South Carolina-Upstate sees 46% of the published cost covered by grants and scholarships. That is an average across all aided students, not a guarantee for any one family.

The [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) is higher for higher incomes, but the spread is modest. Aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 average $11,618, while aid recipients in the $30,001–$48,000 band pay a similar $11,537.

Aid recipients in the $48,001–$75,000 band average $13,394, rising to $17,356 for the $75,001–$110,000 band and $19,325 for incomes above $110,000. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,707.

The average net price across all bands sits below the median for comparable institutions, and the lowest-income families receive a substantial discount. The pricing structure keeps costs within a tight range as income increases.

The published cost of attendance at University of South Carolina-Upstate is $25,124. Azimuth ranks the university #298 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.

After grants and scholarships, the average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $11,618, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $13,394, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $19,325. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $7,707.

Aid covers about 46% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. The average net price across all aid recipients is $13,557, which is $511 below the median of $14,068 for comparable institutions (same type and size).

Borrowers who complete a degree carry a median of $22,310 in federal student loans. That is $1,081 above the peer median of $21,229 for comparable institutions.

89.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $14,836.

If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $254 a month. It estimates costs and payments based on your own financial details.

## Student loans: what does repayment look like?

Most undergraduates at University of South Carolina-Upstate borrow: 89.1% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who complete, the median federal student debt is $22,310.

The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $21,229, so the university's figure runs $1,081 above it. Parents who borrow through the [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) program hold a separate median of $14,836.

University of South Carolina-Upstate graduates earn less than the peer median and the model expects, and they leave with slightly above-peer federal debt. Federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $55,994 four years after completion.

That is $1,307 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That median sits at the 36th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Completers earn about $5,508 less than the model expects for similar students. That places it at the 35th percentile.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $42,377 on the downside to $80,438 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $55,994. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $22,310 in federal loans, $1,081 above the peer median.

If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $254 a month. The return picture combines below-peer earnings with above-peer debt.

For the separate population of parent borrowers, median [Parent PLUS](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) borrowing is $14,836. For student borrowers, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $254 a month if repaid over ten years.

[Repayment figures](#combined-borrowing) are in the Financial GPS card below. [Borrowing populations and model assumptions](#cost-data-notes).

## Parent loans: what can the family afford?

[How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/)

**Median Parent PLUS debt**
$14,836

**Estimated parent payment**
$188/mo

Modeled Parent PLUS pressure by income

| Household income | Share of income above basic expenses | Risk level |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $35,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $50,000 | No room | High pressure |
| $75,000 | 11.1% | High pressure |
| $100,000 | 5.0% | Safe |
| $150,000 | 2.4% | Safe |
| $200,000 | 1.6% | Safe |

The 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS balance, as a share of household income above basic expenses ($54,640 a year: 200% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline for a household of three). No room is High pressure. [Open the parent tool for your own numbers](/financial-gps/?tool=parent&school=university-of-south-carolina-upstate#parent-tool). [Read the assumptions and limits](#cost-data-notes).

## Student and parent loans: the monthly payments

Financial GPS

### What does repayment look like?

**Institution median student debt**
$22,310

**Institution Parent PLUS debt**
$14,836

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

**Estimated student payment · monthly**
$254/mo

**Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly**
$188/mo

**Modeled student + parent payments**
$442/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

#### Student payment as a share of available income

At median graduate earnings of $55,994, with a $23,940 annual allowance for basic expenses:

**9.5%** of income above the allowance · Good

1.  Excellent Under 8%
2.  Good 8–under 12% · selected scenario
3.  Concerning 12–20%
4.  High risk Over 20%

How this estimate works

These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $23,940, uses the published framework’s 2026 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.

[Read the framework and its limits](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

[Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=university-of-south-carolina-upstate#student-tool)

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).

**Net price and borrowing.** The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. [College Scorecard data and documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/).

A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.