Specialized school
#7 Best colleges in South CarolinaAmerican College of the Building Arts
Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $30,403 a year
Median debt at graduation: $12,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in America#26 of 684
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in America#58 of 704
- Best small colleges in America#130 of 906
- Best colleges in America#363 of 1,829
- Best test-optional colleges in America#319 of 1,481
- Most selective colleges in America#149 of 683
In South Carolina
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in South Carolina#1 of 10
- Colleges with the most faculty per student in South Carolina#1 of 10
- Best small colleges in South Carolina#2 of 19
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in South Carolina#2 of 10
- Best test-optional colleges in South Carolina#6 of 30
- Best colleges in South Carolina#7 of 35
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.62%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.75%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,190 · ACT 23.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.8 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$20,328
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $38,073 a year.
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 140 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 83% · Women 17% |
| Total students | 140 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $30,403 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $38,073 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $12,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 62% |
| First-year retention | 75% |
| Admission rate | 44% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $50 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 18% |
| Average SAT | 1190 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 560–640 |
| SAT math | 570–650 |
| ACT composite | 20–27 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Campus life
| Setting | City |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 1% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 31% |
| Students per faculty member | 8 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 77%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $13,775Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Charleston International Airport (CHS)About 8 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 154,3382020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | CharlotteAbout 174 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 51°F1991–2020 normal, from CHARLESTON CITY, SC US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 82°F1991–2020 normal, from CHARLESTON CITY, SC US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.00 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.00 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.00 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is American College of the Building Arts’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 20% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does American College of the Building Arts cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $30,403 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into American College of the Building Arts?
- American College of the Building Arts admitted 44% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do American College of the Building Arts’s graduates do?
- 62% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median federal debt at graduation is $12,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 485698
- Carnegie classification: Special focus: other
- Accreditation: Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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