Public · College

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina · Midsize city

#1 most selective in South Carolina#2 for grad earnings in South Carolina#5 graduation rate in South Carolina
22.7%
Admit rate
$20,723
Avg net price
75%
Graduation rate
$72,085
Median earnings

Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Charleston, South Carolina (midsize city setting), enrolling 2,705 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 2,705 undergradsMidsize cityVery selective · 23% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Southern ConferenceNear the coast

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Citadel Military College of South Carolina's admitted students.

Admit rate
22.7%
SAT (mid 50%)
1085–1285
Avg GPA
3.79

Enter a test score to see where you land against Citadel Military College of South Carolina's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Citadel Military College of South Carolina'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
To the ocean
< 1 mile
Nearest airport
8 miles to Charleston (CHS) · major hub

How Citadel Military College of South Carolina compares

Selectivity22.7%

More selective than 95% · #1 most selective of 29 in South Carolina

SAT average1208

Higher than 61%

Graduation rate75%

Higher than 85% · #5 of 35 in South Carolina

First-year retention86%

Higher than 78%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$72,085

Higher than 85% · #2 of 35 in South Carolina

Average net price$20,723

Cheaper than 47% · #24 cheapest of 35 in South Carolina

Median debt at graduation$21,096

Lower than 66%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment2,705

Larger than 66%

Percentiles compare Citadel Military College of South Carolina 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

3,761students
  • Undergraduate2,70572%
  • Graduate1,05628%

Undergraduates by gender

2,705undergrads
  • Women32012%
  • Men2,38588%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White73%
  • Black8.3%
  • Hispanic9.7%
  • Asian2.1%
  • Other or multiracial6.9%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,705
Graduate enrollment
1,056
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
20%
First-generation students
19%
Students over 25
10%
Median family income
$70,469
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$90,639
Endowment
$419,791,742

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 661 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From South Carolina51%
  • Other U.S. states48%
  • International1.2%

A regional draw: about 51% of first-years come from South Carolina, the rest from elsewhere.

1% 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
22.7%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1085–1285
SAT average
1208
SAT reading
540–640
SAT math
545–645
ACT composite
22–27
Average GPA
3.79

Cost

In-state tuition
$12,570
Out-of-state tuition
$38,508
Room & board
$9,705
Books & supplies
$9,741
Total cost of attendance
$33,880
Average net price
$20,723

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)
75%
Graduated on time (4 years)
68%
First-year retention
86%
Transferred to another college
17%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$60,168
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$72,085
Median debt at graduation
$21,096
Students with federal loans
36%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
68%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
68%
Low-income (Pell)
66%
First-generation
66%

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
2,372
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
88%
Application fee
$40
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Southern Conference
Varsity athletes
466 (345 men · 121 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 (10)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)173
Football119
Wrestling39
Baseball38
Soccer25
Basketball21
Volleyball17
Tennis15
Rifle12
Golf7

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
19
Property offenses (2022–2024)
2

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (3,793 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.

7.0reported offenses a year
6.3 violent a year0.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
3.0
Fondling
2.3
Aggravated assault
1.0
Burglary
0.7

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.

< $30k
$15,430
$30–48k
$16,456
$48–75k
$18,140
$75–110k
$20,620
$110k+
$24,047

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.

Est. total to a degree
$75,100

$18,140/year × about 4.1 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.

65%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$13,797
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 65% — get grant money from Citadel Military College of South Carolina itself, averaging $13,797, 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 676 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)
$72,085
Typical debt at graduation
$21,096
Debt vs. one year's pay
29%
Out-earn a HS grad
77%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

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.

Women
$50,888
Men
$73,169

Men out-earn women by $22,281 (44%) 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
88°F
Winter low
44°F
Annual rain
44.3″
Annual snow
0.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.03.06.1JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Charleston City, SC US station (2 mi from campus).

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 Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Citadel Military College of South Carolina side by side →

Colleges near Citadel Military College of South Carolina

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.