Founded in 1961, the University of South Carolina Aiken is a comprehensive liberal arts institution committed to active learning through excellence in teaching, faculty and student scholarship, research, creative activities, and service. In this stimulating academic community, USC Aiken challenges students to acquire and develop the skills, knowledge, and values necessary for success in a dynamic global environment. Today, USC Aiken has ranked in the top three public baccalaureate colleges in the South by U.S.News & World Report's guide ?America's Best Colleges?? for sixteen consecutive years. More than 3,200 students attend the university, and approximately 500 students graduate each year. USC Aiken is ?The University of Choice,?? providing bachelor's and master's degrees in 47 programs of study while delivering many of the offerings of a large university on a small, friendly campus with intimate class sizes and personal attention. The commitment to continuing partnerships is woven into the fabric of the campus' culture.