November 10, 2025, Carol JG Ward
The University of South Carolina’s Rural Occupations Workforce Expansion (ROWE) program trains MSW students to serve in underserved communities, strengthening South Carolina’s rural behavioral health workforce and improving access to mental health care.
November 04, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
Wounds may take years to fester before a war-weathered veteran seeks help, and often service-related injuries are not visible. Opened in 2018 the University of South Carolina Veterans Legal Clinic has provided legal services to more than 550 clients and experiential learning to community-minded students.
November 03, 2025, Valerie Weingart
A Rhodes scholar embodies academic excellence, strong collaboration and leadership skills, and dedication to working for the good of humanity — all of which describe South Carolina Honors College student and public health major Hannah Brennen. Her research and involvement in the Columbia community throughout her academic career have her poised to become USC's 11th Rhodes scholar and first since 2016.
August 20, 2025, Jeff Stensland
USC kicked the semester off this week welcoming over 7,800 freshmen with over half of those being in-state residents.
August 20, 2025, Gregory Hardy
Rising temperatures are making heat stroke a serious risk in South Carolina and beyond, especially during outdoor activities such as youth sports, yardwork, recreation and even work. At USC’s Arnold School of Public Health, associate professor of athletic training Susan Yeargin debunks dangerous myths about treating this life-threatening condition.
May 19, 2025, Thom Harman, with Matt Klopfenstein
The Graduate School recently announced and recognized its 2025 Graduate Student Award winners and Trustee Fellowship recipients, as well as the graduates from the school’s scholarly initiatives. The school held its annual Recognition of Excellence Ceremony on April 25 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.
May 14, 2025, Brandon Pugh
Rising Honors College senior Ella Michel has been awarded a 2025 Udall Undergraduate Scholarship to continue her work at the intersection of energy, environment and community.
May 08, 2025, Michaela Taylor
For most University of South Carolina students, Cocky is a symbol of school spirit synonymous with USC and complete with beak flaps, spurs up and fun game antics. But for seniors Nicole Hurley and John Sutay, the mascot means something more — it’s a defining part of their college experience, one they kept secret for years.
May 06, 2025, Valerie Weingart
Senior NROTC midshipman Ryan Lohr realized early that, to grow as a communicator, he couldn’t just talk about the world in his classes — he needed to engage with the world.
April 22, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
The University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences has a new name honoring the vision and generosity of a prominent alumnus and his family. The official name, the University of South Carolina McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, was announced on Wednesday (April 23) during a ceremony on USC's Horseshoe.
April 21, 2025, Laura Erskine
The Ice Bucket Challenge is back, and a student organization at the University of South Carolina is behind it. In March, USC's Mental Illness Needs Discussion (MIND) club launched the #SpeakYourMIND challenge, which went viral and hit the national news. Who doesn’t love to see videos of friends, family and even strangers getting doused in buckets of ice water?
March 27, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
It’s been a whirlwind semester for dancers and musicians at the University of South Carolina. Twenty-four Joffrey Ballet company members arrived on campus March 17 for a three-week residency culminating in an unprecedented collaborative performance April 5 at the Koger Center for the Arts. Students and faculty from USC’s Betsy Blackmon Dance Program and the USC Symphony Orchestra have joined forces with members of the Joffrey entourage to marry movement and music into a spectacular concert for the community.
March 21, 2025, Gregory Hardy
More than 250 University of South Carolina health sciences students learned where they’ll take the next step in their careers during national Match Day celebrations on March 19 and 21.
March 06, 2025, Kristine Hartvigsen
Dance students in the University of South Carolina’s Betsy Blackmon Dance Program are spending extra time at the barre in anticipation of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity they will have collaborating with the world-famous Joffrey Ballet. The company begins a three-week residency at USC on March 17 that will culminate with an unprecedented Koger Center performance on April 5.
February 21, 2025, Gregory Hardy
The University of South Carolina broke ground on a facility that will redefine the future of health care education and research during a ceremony on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the site of its new School of Medicine Columbia. This cutting-edge, 300,000-square-foot-plus medical education and research facility will be part of USC’s transformative $300 million Health Sciences Campus, amid 16 acres in Columbia’s reimagined BullStreet District.
February 18, 2025, Thom Harman / photo by Kim Truett
Paulia D. Williams won the 2024 Dennis A. Pruitt Outstanding Advocate for First-Year Students Award, the fourth TRIO staff member to win the award since its inception. Williams knows that most students need some help transitioning to college, especially first-generation college students. She sees it every day in her role with TRIO Programs — and she lived it herself.
November 12, 2024, Brandon Pugh
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded USC one of its largest-ever grants — $35 million — for the College of Education's GEAR UP SC program to help disadvantaged students overcome barriers to college and career opportunities.
October 11, 2024, Carol E. Harrison
At the current Vatican synod, whose purpose is to address “communion, participation, and mission” in the church, women’s role is on the agenda. History professor Carol Harrison writes for The Conversation on how Catholic women have historically found ways to speak to and about their church leadership, even when they have been excluded from its proceedings.
October 07, 2024, Cary Mock
Some hurricanes are remembered for their wind damage or rainfall. Others for their coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene was a stew of all of that and more. Its near-record-breaking size, storm surge, winds and rainfall together turned Helene into an almost unimaginable disaster that stretched more than 500 miles inland from the Florida coast. Geography professor Cary Mock writes about the hurricane for The Conversation.
October 07, 2024, Cary Mock
Some hurricanes are remembered for their wind damage or rainfall. Others for their coastal flooding. Hurricane Helene was a stew of all of that and more. Its near-record-breaking size, storm surge, winds and rainfall together turned Helene into an almost unimaginable disaster that stretched more than 500 miles inland from the Florida coast. Geography professor Cary Mock writes about the hurricane for The Conversation.
September 25, 2024, Carol J. G. Ward
As the USC School of Music celebrates its centennial, the revitalized, internationally recognized jazz program Dean Tayloe Harding envisioned more than a decade ago has become a reality.
September 04, 2024, Carol J.G. Ward
The Centennial Celebration Concert joins more than 500 student musicians in the first of a series of events showcasing School of Music programs, students and faculty.
August 28, 2024, Kristine Hartvigsen
Soon all of us will experience an arts immersion like no other — autumn. We will marvel at breathtaking color — yellows, russets, reds and browns — brilliantly lighting up the landscape. The University of South Carolina similarly offers a wide spectrum of arts experiences to ignite your imagination this fall. Here is a sampling.
August 27, 2024, Koby Padgett
With total attendance at the University of South Carolina topping 38,000 for the first time, a new class of Gamecocks bring excitement and an energetic buzz back to the Columbia campus and metro area. Here are some numbers about our incoming students that help give a picture of the resources it takes to support them, the activities they take part in and how they’ll impact campus life.
August 26, 2024, Dan Cook
USC enrollment hits 38,000 for the first time ever while underrepresented minority students make up almost 28 percent of the freshman class.
July 17, 2024, Allen Wallace
At 22 years old, just a few weeks after graduating from the University of South Carolina, Caroline Salisbury is leading a team of more than 350 people at the world’s most famous resort.
July 11, 2024, Thom Harman
Amber Fallucca is the inaugural director of the Carolina Experience, which will focus on the undergraduate experience past the first year — for transfer, sophomore, junior and senior students. As a coordinating office, they will collaborate with a variety of campus offices to elevate the entire student experience at USC.
May 14, 2024, Thom Harman
Maybe you were shouting from the stands in Cleveland as Dawn Staley’s remarkable women’s basketball team brought home the third national championship in program history. Maybe you were among the 24 million viewers watching on TV as they turned a so-called rebuilding year into an undefeated season and rings all around. Maybe you were even out there in the Thomas Cooper reflecting pool with several hundred other ecstatic Gamecocks, making a splash all your own.
April 26, 2024, Dana Woodward
The University of South Carolina will welcome thousands of new alumni from across the system in a series of commencement ceremonies beginning April 26, 2024.
February 09, 2024, Communications and Marketing staff
On Tuesday, Feb. 13, alumni and advocates of the University of South Carolina will come together for Carolina Day. The annual event is a chance for Gamecocks near and far to show their love for the university as well as the importance of USC in improving the lives of every S.C. resident.
January 26, 2024, Thom Harman
From a new program home to new music to continued research, Matt White, Jazz Studies Program chair, is rather busy. His novel approach to a 2023 release, “Lowcountry” — incorporating Gullah histories and stories with contemporary jazz — has earned White and his collaborators a chance to perform the piece during the 2024 Spoleto Festival.
January 22, 2024, Hannah Cambre
The University of South Carolina is committing to providing more comprehensive support to its first-generation student population, including a First-Generation Center launching in August 2024, a living and learning community for first-gen students, and an expanding partnership with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators.
December 11, 2023, Gregory Hardy
Nearly 70 rising high school seniors from across the Midlands invested part of their summer vacation toward gaining in-depth insights into health science careers thanks to a partnership of the College of Nursing, the School of Medicine Columbia and Lexington Medical Center.
September 08, 2023, Thom Harman
The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® committee has announced the Carolina Band as one of their premier bands selected to perform in the 2024 parade. The announcement was made at halftime of the South Carolina vs. Furman football game on Saturday (Sept. 9). The band was one of just 10 chosen from more than 100 applicants. This is the first time in the band’s 100+-year history that it’s been given this opportunity.
August 24, 2023, Koby Padgett
As a record-breaking first-year class settles into the University of South Carolina this week, here are some numbers about our incoming students that help give a picture of the activities they take part in, how they’ll impact campus life and the resources it takes to support them.
March 26, 2023, Allen Wallace
A year of work by the the 2023 University of South Carolina Dance Marathon team culminated in a huge success: $788,645 raised to fund the Child Life program at Columbia's Prisma Health Children's Hospital, part of the Children's Miracle Network.
September 12, 2022, Grace Salter
The University of South Carolina has been ranked the No. 1 “Best for Vets Colleges 2022” by the Military Times. The ranking, which covers 311 public and private institutions, serves as the gold standard among the veteran and military community in terms of higher education.
August 23, 2022, Koby Padgett
It’s an exciting time on the University of South Carolina campus as a record-breaking first-year class settles in. Here are some details about our student body, activities they take part in, how they impact campus life and the resources it takes to support them.
August 22, 2022, Dana Woodward
University 101 began in 1972 as a class to help students adjust to college life and learn more about campus resources. Fifty years later, Gov. Henry McMaster will proclaim Friday, Aug. 26, 2022, as “University 101’s 50th Anniversary Day” in recognition of U101’s international impact.
August 19, 2022, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina’s Columbia campus this fall welcomed its largest, and among its most diverse freshman classes in the school’s 221-year history.
May 12, 2022, Mollie Roe and Emily Miles
During his sophomore year, nursing student Bradley Quarles lost a family member to suicide. That experience, combined with the medical knowledge he learned in his studies, spurred Quarles to look for ways to prevent suicide and promote mental health on campus.
April 12, 2022, Allen Wallace
On April 9, nearly 2,000 University of South Carolina students spent the day dancing together, closing more than a year of work with a huge success as they raised $931,016 to support the Child Life program at Prisma Health Children's Hospital.
March 28, 2022, Abbey Smith
For two University of South Carolina students, earning a Goldwater Scholarship has turned childhood dreams into reality. Kirsten Fisher and Amanda Manea also have the honor of marking 30 years of Goldwater Scholars at UofSC.
December 02, 2021, Chris Horn
When Robert McKeever and a colleague launched a smartphone usage study in 2017, they timed it to coincide with an update of Apple’s iOS that for the first time tracked weekly screen time.
November 11, 2021, Carol J.G. Ward
When Navy veteran Brooks Herring needed help seeking custody of his son, he turned to the Veterans Legal Clinic at the University of South Carolina’s School of Law.
September 07, 2021, Koby Padgett
Thanks to unprecedented state investment in need-based aid, the University of South Carolina awarded financial aid of $3,000 to more than 3,000 students for the 2021-22 academic year.
August 17, 2021, Koby Padgett
This week, the University of South Carolina welcomes one of its largest incoming classes for the 2021-22 academic year, a class that sets a record for academic excellence.
August 17, 2021, Koby Padgett
As the University of South Carolina welcomes an estimated 6,150 freshmen to campus, here are some details on the incoming class, student life and move-in.
November 18, 2020, Allen Wallace
The University of South Carolina’s sport science programs are ranked No. 1 in the United States for the fourth consecutive year in the Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.
November 09, 2020, Margaret Gregory
Two members of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia Class of 2024 are bringing unique perspectives as they train for their future careers in medicine. Before entering medical school, Ian MacLeod and Shane Weatherford served their country in the U.S. armed services. Both are able to pursue their education thanks to the Veterans Healing Veterans Scholarship.
September 08, 2020, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina welcomed almost 7,800 new students to the Columbia campus this fall and the incoming freshman class is more diverse and has more in-state students than any previous class.
August 17, 2020, Kelsey Hagon
University of South Carolina junior Cole Falkenstine recently completed the U.S. Army’s prestigious Combat Diving Supervisor Course, preparing him to oversee combat dive operations in the Army.
June 30, 2020, Koby Padgett
The University of South Carolina ranks among the top 50 universities in the country for promoting financial literacy to its students, according to a new nationwide survey by LendEDU.com.
April 27, 2020, Bert Ely and Taylor Carter
Following the coronavirus’s spread through the population – and anticipating its next move – is an important part of the public health response to the new disease. Biological sciences professor Bert Ely and doctoral student Taylor Carter write for The Conversation on how the virus's genetic sequence provides insight into where the virus has been.
March 01, 2020, Allen Wallace
University of South Carolina Dance Marathon completed its 2019-2020 fundraising year with a total of $1,016,822 raised for Prisma Health Children's Hospital.
February 18, 2020, Carol J.G. Ward
The University of South Carolina’s Moving Image Research Collections in a partnership with the History Division of the Marine Corps is digitizing films shot by more than 50 Marine combat cameramen during the Battle of Iwo Jima, which began Feb. 19, 1945. The goal is to provide public access to the video and expand historical understanding.
December 11, 2019, Margaret Gregory
In 2002, 8-year-old Wanda Gibbs died after being hit by a car at her bus stop. After her tragic passing, the community came together and launched a fundraising initiative to ensure Wanda’s memory would live on. Their efforts established the Wanda Gibbs Scholarship at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, which was awarded for the first time earlier this year.
September 26, 2019, Alyssa Yancey
The new Simulation and Interactive Learning Center is giving medical and advanced practice students at the School of Medicine Columbia a unique opportunity to apply what they learn in the classroom with the goal of further strengthening patient care for South Carolina and beyond.
August 20, 2019, Jeff Stensland
The approximately 8,700 students arriving in Columbia this week are part of the largest pool of new students ever enrolled at the University of South Carolina’s flagship campus. Preliminary enrollment numbers show the university also is increasing in diversity and serving more students from South Carolina than ever before, surpassing last year’s record and setting a new bar for academic achievement.
August 19, 2019, Koby Padgett
Move-in 2019 welcomes an estimated 6,250 freshmen to campus. Here are some details on the incoming class, student life and move-in.
July 01, 2019, Allen Wallace
They’ve raised more than $2 million in the past two years for the kids at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital. They’ve been recognized by Gov. Henry McMaster for their efforts. But just like the dancing at their annual Main Event, the work never stops for University of South Carolina Dance Marathon.
May 23, 2019, Alyssa Yancey
Second-year Ph.D. candidate Katy Pilarzyk was one of three University of South Carolina students awarded a prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship this year. She will use her funding to continue her work in Michy Kelly’s lab at the School of Medicine Columbia. The lab studies the inner workings of the brain to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying social and cognitive deficits.
April 26, 2019, Alyssa Yancey
Graduating medical students Laine Way and Parker Edison have done their clinical education in Florence at the UofSC School of Medicine's Florence Regional Campus, and now they'll be completing their residencies in Florence at McLeod Health.
March 03, 2019, Allen Wallace
University of South Carolina student organization Dance Marathon raised $1,038,156 for Prisma Health Children's Hospital, breaking the record set last year.
December 14, 2018, Alyssa Yancey
The BARSC-MD program, a joint initiative between the University of South Carolina Honors College and the USC School of Medicine, allows a select group of students to complete an undergraduate degree and their medical degree in just seven years. The students receive conditional acceptance to medical school as freshmen, and then enter medical school after their third year of undergraduate coursework.
October 19, 2018, Allen Wallace
The University of South Carolina’s sport science programs are making an impact around the world, and the success has earned global recognition. The programs are ranked No. 1 in the United States for the third consecutive year in the Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.
October 15, 2018, Alyssa Yancey
As a youth transition specialist for Able South Carolina, a disability nonprofit that provides an array of independent living services, University of South Carolina graduate student Michael Hanna draws from his own experiences growing up with ADHD.
August 30, 2018, Allen Wallace
Beginning Sept. 6, McCutchen House will be open for lunch Tuesday-Friday and for dinner each Thursday night. The on-campus, student-run restaurant offers a variety of dining experiences while serving as a hands-on training ground for hospitality management majors in the School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management.
August 27, 2018, Annika Dahlgren
School of Medicine student Alison “Allie” Augsburger has wanted to be a doctor for as long as she can remember, but working with her mentor and completing a prestigious summer program has helped focus her sights on the rigorous field of cardiothoracic surgery.
August 22, 2018, Jeff Stensland
As the University of South Carolina welcomes students returning to campuses, it’s also greeting a new group of freshmen and transfer students that’s among the largest and most diverse in the university’s history.
July 12, 2018, Annika Dahlgren
Researchers with the College of Engineering and Computing have created a new way to destroy cancer cells in two days. The research team — made up of electrical engineering professor Seongtae Bae, postdoc fellow Jung-tak Jang and undergrad (Eric) Sang Hoon Ju — uses a nanomaterial and an alternating current (AC) magnetic field generator to super heat the cells.
April 26, 2018, Taylor Evans
The public is invited to enjoy the creations of five students at the Student Choreography Showcase at 7 p.m. Friday (April 27) and 2 p.m. Saturday (April 28) at the Drayton Hall Theatre. These showcases feature works that were chosen from 12 pieces presented at the Fall 2017 Student Choreography Showcase.
April 20, 2018, Alyssa Yancey
The staff of the SC Center for Rural and Primary Healthcare at the USC School of Medicine is working to improve access to care in rural South Carolina. Created with state funding in 2017, the center has a number of initiatives underway, including a loan program to encourage health profession students to practice in rural settings, research grant programs and partnerships helping put providers on the ground in critical need areas.
April 13, 2018, Mary-Kathryn Craft
This summer, biology professor Timothy Mousseau and his students will visit Ukraine to study the stray dogs living around Chernobyl, the site of one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters.
March 23, 2018, John Brunelli
The University of South Carolina College of Nursing graduate program jumped 13 spots to no. 39 nationally in the 2019 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Overall, the program has risen by 40 spots in the past 5 years.
March 21, 2018, Taylor Evans
The community is invited to cheer students and alumni of the University of South Carolina as they compete for startup prizes and support in The Proving Ground Thursday, March 29.
February 02, 2018, Taylor Evans
Professor Bonnie Drewniany's Super Bowl Commercial class graded Super Bowl advertisements on their likability, brand identity and persuasiveness to chose this year's Cocky Award winner.
December 20, 2017, Allen Wallace
The University of South Carolina’s sport science programs are ranked No. 1 in the United States for the second year in a row, and No. 4 in the world by ShanghaiRanking's 2017 Global Ranking of Sport Science Schools and Departments.
November 20, 2017, Peggy Binette
Students and scholars will have a richer understanding of contemporary politics and culture thanks to Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker. The 2010 Pulitzer Prize winner who lives in Camden, South Carolina, and writes the nation’s most widely syndicated column, has given her personal archive to the University of South Carolina Libraries’ South Carolina Political Collections.
November 06, 2017, Peggy Binette
The Proving Ground startup competition is gearing up for another year of big ideas as students and young alumni compete for cash prizes and startup support. This year’s “Shark Tank-style” competition launched Nov. 1, with the finale set for March 29, 2018, giving competitors more time to shape their idea and ready their business plan.
July 19, 2017, Peggy Binette
The University of South Carolina will welcome some of the nation’s and the state’s top students for the university’s most valuable and prestigious scholarships program. Recipients of the Stamps, Carolina and Hamilton scholar awards for in-state students and the Stamps, McNair and Horseshoe Scholar awards for out-of-state students will join the Carolina community in August.
April 13, 2017, Peggy Binette
Three South Carolina Honors College students win Goldwater Scholarships. Carolina students have won Goldwater Scholarships for 25 consecutive years.
March 30, 2017, Abigayle Morrison
While some Gamecocks played on the national stage for basketball this weekend for the Final Four in Phoenix and Dallas, freshman political science major Michael Senatore stepped on a stage of a different sort. On Saturday (April 1), Senatore gave a TEDx talk at Carnegie Mellon University on how he made the science of flipping a water bottle a national phenomenon.
March 29, 2017, Abigayle Morrison
Kimberly Medina, a University of South Carolina senior from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina who has spent her college years working to improve the lives of Hispanics, was named the university’s Outstanding Woman of the Year 2017. University officials honored Medina and four finalists during a ceremony Wednesday (March 29).
March 10, 2017, Allen Wallace
The University of South Carolina Fashion Board, a student-run organization, will host its 10th annual Fashion Week March 20-24. The public is invited to the week’s biggest events, the Student Designer Showcase and the Finale Show.
March 10, 2017, John Brunelli
Students from the University of South Carolina’s School of Visual Art and Design will display original artwork in a variety of mediums in a juried exhibition, which runs Feb. 23- March 16 at McMaster Gallery.
February 23, 2017, John Brunelli
Five paintings by Edward Hopper are the inspiration for Opera at USC's spring production "Later the Same Evening." The show runs Feb. 24-26 at Drayton Hall.
October 13, 2016, Peggy Binette
South Carolina’s political party chairs will meet at the University of South Carolina Thursday, Oct. 20 to discuss the impact of the presidential campaign on the state. The event takes place the day after the final candidate debate and just weeks before the Nov. 8 general election. Titled, “Campaign 2016: The Impact in South Carolina. A conversation with South Carolina Republican and Democratic State Chairs,” the event will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. in the university’s School of Law auditorium.
September 20, 2016, Lynn Schutte
The Proving Ground – the startup competition at the University of South Carolina that began in 2010 – is back for its seventh season, ready to help fund and support new startups by students and young alumni. More than $52,000 in prizes and startup support is available for winners of this year's competition.
September 12, 2016, Dan Cook
Imagine the stakes when you enroll in an experimental music class and it turns out that you’ll not only be listening to challenging sounds, but actually performing such pieces yourself. Not only that, but performing them in New York City just one month into the semester as part of a world premiere.
July 26, 2016, Augusta Bauknight
The University of South Carolina Postal Service will begin offering passport application services Aug. 1 at its 1600 Hampton St. post office and at the student mail center in the Russell House University Union.
June 20, 2016, Dan Cook
Tourism is a global industry by its very nature — and the United States is a leader in the sector. Enter the International Hospitality and Tourism Academy, a three-week summer program that welcomes foreign students for intensive training in hospitality and tourism management.
April 14, 2016, Megan Sexton
The past president of the American Bar Association, the chairman and CEO of Fluor Corp. and the chief public policy officer for the Boeing Co. will deliver the commencement addresses May 6-7 at the University of South Carolina.
March 24, 2016, Peggy Binette
The shooting of nine people in a Charleston AME church was a catalyst for South Carolina lawmakers to remove from Statehouse grounds the Confederate flag. Nine months later, the state’s capital city will host a public symposium for people and public officials to explore the history and racial legacy of the Reconstruction era. The April 21-22 event marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Reconstruction era and will feature Rep. James Clyburn, the state’s first African-American member of Congress since Reconstruction, Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar Eric Foner as well as an array of scholars and public historians.
March 10, 2016, Patrick Ingraham
Air Force ROTC detachment 775 at UofSC is a way for students to earn an education, find a career and serve their country
December 01, 2015, Jeff Stensland
The University of South Carolina was recognized Wednesday as one the leading universities in the country for improving graduation rates for minority students, and ranks in the top five among flagship universities for closing the graduation gap between minority and white students over the past decade.