Named by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers (No. 96 out of 500), the University of South Carolina is a globally recognized, high-impact research university and one of only 32 public universities in the United States to receive both the top-tier research designation and the community engagement designation from the Carnegie Foundation.Founded in 1801, the University of South Carolina is located in the heart of Columbia, South Carolina — the No. 3 college town in the country — and centers around the lush, oak-filled historic Horseshoe. With 324 degree programs, the No. 1 international business program, the nation's best honors college and 47 nationally ranked programs, the University of South Carolina offers both the breadth and the excellence for students to thrive in a 21st-century world. Kiplinger's has named the University of South Carolina a Best Value in higher education, and Forbes has named the university one of America's Best Value Colleges.