Private nonprofit · College
American College of the Building Arts
Charleston, South Carolina · Midsize city
- 44.4%
- Admit rate
- $30,403
- Avg net price
- 62%
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings
American College of the Building Arts is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Charleston, South Carolina (midsize city setting), enrolling 155 undergraduates.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against American College of the Building Arts's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 44.4%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1130–1290
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.48
Enter a test score to see where you land against American College of the Building Arts's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and American College of the Building Arts's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. In 1670, Governor William Sayle arranged for several shiploads of settlers from Bermuda and Barbados. These settlers established what was then called Charles Town at Albemarle Point, on the west bank of the Ashley River, a few miles northwest of the present-day city center. Charleston's culture blends traditional Southern U.S., English, French, and West African elements. The downtown peninsula has several arts, music, local cuisine, and fashion venues. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Midsize city
- Highest degree offered
- Bachelor's
- Nearest big city
- 2 miles to Charleston, SC
- To the ocean
- 1 mile
- Nearest airport
- 8 miles to Charleston (CHS) · major hub
How American College of the Building Arts compares
More selective than 87% · #4 most selective of 29 in South Carolina
Higher than 56%
Higher than 64% · #9 of 35 in South Carolina
Higher than 45%
Cheaper than 15% · #35 cheapest of 35 in South Carolina
Lower than 95%
Lower than 89%
Larger than 11%
Percentiles compare American College of the Building Arts with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in South Carolina.
Student body
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White90%
- Black2.6%
- Hispanic1.9%
- Asian2.6%
- Other or multiracial2.6%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 155
- Student–faculty ratio
- 8 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 18%
- First-generation students
- —
- Students over 25
- 31%
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $79,614
- Endowment
- $2,009,183
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 44.4%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1130–1290
- SAT average
- 1190
- SAT reading
- 560–640
- SAT math
- 570–650
- ACT composite
- 20–27
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.48
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $21,500
- Room & board
- —
- Books & supplies
- $950
- Total cost of attendance
- $38,073
- Average net price
- $30,403
Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.
Outcomes
- Graduated (within 6 years)
- 62%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 55%
- First-year retention
- 75%
- Transferred to another college
- 7%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- —
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- —
- Median debt at graduation
- $12,500
- Students with federal loans
- 39%
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- No
- Application fee
- $50
Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.
What you'll actually pay, by family income
Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.
College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.
Four-year (or more) true cost
Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.
$32,248/year × about 4.2 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.
Does the school pay you to attend?
Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.
A meaningful share of freshmen — 43% — get grant money from American College of the Building Arts itself, averaging $8,917, which softens the sticker price.
Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 23 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 88°F
- Winter low
- 44°F
- Annual rain
- 44.3″
- Annual snow
- 0.3″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charleston City, SC US station (1.9 mi from campus).
What American College of the Building Arts graduates study — and earn
Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.
Colleges similar to American College of the Building Arts
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare American College of the Building Arts side by side →
Millsaps College
Jackson, Mississippi · Midsize city · 2 mi to Jackson
- Students
- 549
- Admission
- 43%
- Net price
- $26k
- SAT
- 1181
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $54k
Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland, Ohio · Large city · 5 mi to Cleveland
- Students
- 159
- Admission
- 47%
- Net price
- $28k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $33k
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Albany, New York · Midsize city · 1 mi to Albany
- Students
- 481
- Admission
- 53%
- Net price
- $30k
- SAT
- 1252
- GPA
- 3.6
- Earnings
- $131k
Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Minneapolis, Minnesota · Large city · 2 mi to Minneapolis
- Students
- 705
- Admission
- 48%
- Net price
- $30k
- SAT
- 1161
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $41k
Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland, Ohio · Large city · 5 mi to Cleveland
- Students
- 539
- Admission
- 61%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- 1193
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $43k
Barclay College
Haviland, Kansas · Remote rural · 97 mi to Wichita
- Students
- 168
- Admission
- 51%
- Net price
- $29k
- SAT
- —
- GPA
- —
- Earnings
- $36k
Colleges near American College of the Building Arts
Top of the Line Barber College
Charleston, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 45 students
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston, SC · Public · Bachelor's · 2,705 students
Charleston School of Law
Charleston, SC · Private for-profit · Graduate
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC · Public · Bachelor's · 303 students
College of Charleston
Charleston, SC · Public · Bachelor's · 10,558 students
Vski Cosmetology School
Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 31 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Charleston
North Charleston, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 264 students
Southeastern College-Charleston
North Charleston, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 225 students
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.