Is Fordham or the University of South Carolina more fun for undergrads?

The biggest practical tradeoff is city-based social life versus traditional campus social life. Fordham gives you New York City access, but its social scene is more spread out and often depends on friend groups making plans off campus. South Carolina has a much more centralized undergraduate atmosphere, with SEC sports, tailgates, and a campus culture where weekends are built around student activity in Columbia.

If by “more fun” you mean a classic, high-energy college experience, South Carolina is the one most students would describe that way. It has a stronger school-spirit culture, a more visible weekend scene, and more of the big-campus feeling where events, parties, and game days pull lots of students into the same places at the same time.

Fordham can absolutely be fun, but it is fun in a different way. At Rose Hill especially, you get a residential campus and school events, but the social scene is less all-in on campus life than at South Carolina. A lot of students value Fordham because weekends can include Manhattan, concerts, restaurants, internships, and exploring the city, which is exciting but also less cohesive than a traditional college-town environment.

South Carolina tends to feel easier socially for students who want built-in fun without having to create it themselves. The university runs plenty of activities, and athletics are a major part of the atmosphere. Fordham often appeals more to students who like independence and want their social life to mix campus friends with everything the city offers.

So if your question is strictly which school is usually considered more fun for undergrads, especially for weekends, campus energy, and overall atmosphere, University of South Carolina has the clearer edge. Fordham is more fun for students who specifically want an urban, self-directed experience rather than a big, unified campus social scene.