Regional university
#8 Best colleges in South CarolinaCollege of Charleston
Charleston, SC · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $19,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $23,250 (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
- Best colleges for accounting in America#185 of 1,132
- Best colleges for marketing in America#150 of 834
- Best colleges for business in America#289 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#245 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#242 of 1,238
- Best colleges for finance in America#155 of 744
Show 9 more
- Best colleges for psychology in America#308 of 1,418
- Best colleges in America#405 of 1,829
- Best colleges for English in America#291 of 1,283
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#309 of 1,358
- Best test-optional colleges in America#354 of 1,481
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in America#166 of 690
- Best colleges for history in America#305 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#291 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#304 of 1,215
In South Carolina
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in South Carolina#6 of 35
- Best colleges for music in South Carolina#4 of 22
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in South Carolina#5 of 25
- Best colleges for business in South Carolina#7 of 34
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in South Carolina#7 of 31
- Best colleges for English in South Carolina#7 of 31
Show 11 more
- Best colleges in South Carolina#8 of 35
- Best colleges for education in South Carolina#7 of 30
- Best colleges for psychology in South Carolina#7 of 30
- Best test-optional colleges in South Carolina#7 of 30
- Best colleges for art and design in South Carolina#6 of 25
- Best colleges for history in South Carolina#7 of 28
- Best colleges for mathematics in South Carolina#7 of 28
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in South Carolina#7 of 26
- Best colleges for chemistry in South Carolina#7 of 25
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in South Carolina#3 of 10
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in South Carolina#3 of 10
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.66%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.82%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,247 · ACT 27.5
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,229
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 paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $32,362 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
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) | 10,660 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 32% · Women 68% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 20% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 61% |
| Total students | 11,729 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $19,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $32,362 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $23,250 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 66% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 59% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 56% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 60% |
| First-year retention | 82% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $56,416 |
| Admission rate | 60% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | $60 |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $1,630 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 19% |
| Average SAT | 1247 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 590–670 |
| SAT math | 550–640 |
| ACT composite | 25–30 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good · Top 41% (how it’s computed)
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.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Computing and information science | |
| Information science | |
| Accounting | |
| Finance | |
| International business | |
| Business administration | |
| Marketing | |
| Hospitality management | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Global studies | |
| Political science | |
| Communication studies | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| Historic Preservation and Conservation | |
| Romance languages | |
| Public health | |
| Biology | |
| Mathematics | |
| Anthropology | |
| Arts management | |
| Software and media applications | |
| English | |
| Sociology | |
| Psychology | |
| History | |
| Teacher education | |
| Theatre | |
| Ecology and evolutionary biology | |
| Fine arts |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Archeology, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Chemistry, Classics, Computer engineering, Dance, Data Science, Economics, Electrical engineering, Ethnic and gender studies, German, Interdisciplinary studies, Liberal arts, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Philosophy, Physics, Real Estate, Religious studies, Secondary education, Special education, Statistics, Systems Engineering, Urban Studies/Affairs.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Business | |
| Biology | |
| Communication | |
| Psychology | |
| Social sciences |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | City |
| Part-time undergraduates | 4% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 6% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,332 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Colonial Athletic Association |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 16 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 11%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 65%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $11,955IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Dorm space | For about 35% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Charleston International Airport (CHS)About 10 miles away · about 15 minutes by car |
| Town population | 154,338Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | CharlotteAbout 175 miles away · about 4 hours by car |
| Typical weather | 51°F in January · 82°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Charleston City, SC |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is College of Charleston’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 22% 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 College of Charleston cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $19,000 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 College of Charleston?
- College of Charleston admitted 60% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do College of Charleston’s graduates do?
- 66% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $56,416; the median federal debt at graduation is $23,250.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 217819
- Carnegie classification: Master's university (medium programs)
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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