Private nonprofit · University
Charleston Southern University
Charleston, South Carolina · Midsize city
- 96.5%
- Admit rate
- $21,666
- Avg net price
- 47%
- Graduation rate
- $45,898
- Median earnings
Charleston Southern University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Charleston, South Carolina (midsize city setting), enrolling 2,893 undergraduates. It has a Baptist religious affiliation.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Charleston Southern University's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 96.5%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 930–1160
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.03
Enter a test score to see where you land against Charleston Southern University's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Charleston Southern University'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
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 16 miles to Charleston, SC
- To the ocean
- 12 miles
- Nearest airport
- 6 miles to Charleston (CHS) · major hub
How Charleston Southern University compares
More selective than 10% · #28 most selective of 29 in South Carolina
Higher than 18%
Higher than 34% · #18 of 35 in South Carolina
Higher than 17%
Higher than 26% · #16 of 35 in South Carolina
Cheaper than 42% · #27 cheapest of 35 in South Carolina
Lower than 20%
Lower than 59%
Larger than 68%
Percentiles compare Charleston Southern University 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
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate2,89380%
- Graduate70620%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women1,81963%
- Men1,07437%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White60%
- Black18%
- Hispanic8.8%
- Asian1.3%
- Other or multiracial12%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 2,893
- Graduate enrollment
- 706
- Student–faculty ratio
- 12 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 34%
- First-generation students
- 31%
- Students over 25
- 12%
- Median family income
- $40,996
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $58,707
- Endowment
- $29,841,392
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Where students come from
Home state of the 725 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From South Carolina73%
- Other U.S. states24%
- International3.2%
Most first-years stay in state — Charleston Southern University draws overwhelmingly from South Carolina.
3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 96.5%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 930–1160
- SAT average
- 1059
- SAT reading
- 480–600
- SAT math
- 450–560
- ACT composite
- 18–24
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.03
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $32,520
- Room & board
- $12,200
- Books & supplies
- $0
- Total cost of attendance
- $44,558
- Average net price
- $21,666
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)
- 47%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 37%
- First-year retention
- 63%
- Transferred to another college
- 0%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $40,606
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $45,898
- Median debt at graduation
- $26,471
- Students with federal loans
- 48%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 41%
About 11% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.
Campus life & athletics
- On-campus housing
- Yes
- Dorm capacity
- 1,382
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 48%
- Application fee
- $25
- Athletics
- NCAA Division I-FCS
- Football conference
- Big South Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 439 (268 men · 171 women)
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%.
Varsity sports (9)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- C
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 2.2 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 3
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 22
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,832 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.
Reported offenses in an average year
The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.
By offense type, per year
Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.
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.
$20,697/year × about 4.3 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 — 97% — get grant money from Charleston Southern University itself, averaging $15,772, 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 723 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.
Is it worth it?
A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.
- Median earnings (10 years)
- $45,898
- Typical debt at graduation
- $26,471
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 58%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 54%
Typical debt would take roughly 5.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.
Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.
The pay gap here
Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.
Men out-earn women by $7,321 (17%) a decade out.
Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.
Campus climate
- Summer high
- 91°F
- Winter low
- 39°F
- Annual rain
- 52.5″
- Annual snow
- 0.3″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charleston Intl AP, SC US station (6.1 mi from campus).
What Charleston Southern University 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 Charleston Southern University
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Charleston Southern University side by side →
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois · Large city · < 1 mi to Chicago
- Students
- 2,849
- Admission
- 97%
- Net price
- $20k
- SAT
- 1011
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $49k
Upper Iowa University
Fayette, Iowa · Remote rural · 60 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 1,994
- Admission
- 96%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1090
- GPA
- 3.1
- Earnings
- $53k
Mid-America Christian University
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma · Large city · 9 mi to Oklahoma City
- Students
- 1,666
- Admission
- 92%
- Net price
- $17k
- SAT
- 1020
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $46k
Oklahoma Christian University
Edmond, Oklahoma · Large city · 10 mi to Oklahoma City
- Students
- 1,885
- Admission
- 97%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1122
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $49k
Johnson & Wales University-Providence
Providence, Rhode Island · Midsize city · < 1 mi to Providence
- Students
- 3,868
- Admission
- 88%
- Net price
- $31k
- SAT
- 1050
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $43k
Wingate University
Wingate, North Carolina · Large suburb · 28 mi to Charlotte
- Students
- 2,668
- Admission
- 91%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1111
- GPA
- 3.2
- Earnings
- $53k
Colleges near Charleston Southern University
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-Goose Creek
Goose Creek, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 152 students
Trident Technical College
Charleston, SC · Public · Associate · 10,512 students
Charleston Cosmetology Institute
Charleston, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 100 students
Southeastern College-Charleston
North Charleston, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 225 students
Paul Mitchell the School-Charleston
North Charleston, SC · Private for-profit · Certificate · 264 students
Vski Cosmetology School
Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · Certificate · 31 students
American College of the Building Arts
Charleston, SC · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 155 students
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston, SC · Public · Bachelor's · 2,705 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.












