OUR HISTORY
Across more than two centuries, we've not only grown into South Carolina's flagship university. We've become more than our founders ever imagined possible.
The University of South Carolina's journey to becoming an international leader in higher education is quite a story.
While any history cannot be praised in sum, what we have achieved is possible thanks
to countless individuals, moments and accomplishments. Learn more about our past,
present and future.
Explore South Carolina's Roots
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Timeline
Explore how South Carolina College grew from a post-Revolutionary War effort in 1801 into a 21st-century academic community.
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Historic Horseshoe
Delve into the history of the Old Campus and its iconic Horseshoe, where centuries have unfolded since the university’s founding.
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Architecture and Green Spaces
Get behind-the-scenes perspective about iconic campus structures and intentional spaces that have meaningful stories to tell.
Understanding the university's broader story and sharing it with the world can be a painful reckoning. To those purposefully and inadvertently excluded over the years, however, it's a task long overdue.
With the coming recommendations and actions of the Presidential Commission on University History and our efforts to give new voice to events and individuals essential to our past, we believe we will all be better for it.
Just as our historic downtown campus is woven into the fabric of the Palmetto State, it's forever entwined with your time at South Carolina. And it's only getting better.
Learn about signature architecture styles visible around campus, the medley of green spaces and gardens that create our urban oasis, and historic and modern monuments that beautify campus and share meaningful experiences and stories that might otherwise be lost.
There are more than 7,000 trees across the campus, representing about 80 species. In just the oaks, we have live oak, laurel oak, willow oak, shumart oak, nuttall oak, overcup oak, Japanese blue oak, sawtooth oak, chestnut oak, white oak, southern red oak and black oak.
