College of Charleston

https://www.charleston.edu

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2024 Undergraduate Tuition

$12,518

2024 Average Net Price

$21,004

After Financial Aid

2024 Acceptance Rate

60%

31,680 Applicants

2024 Enrolled Students

11,926

87% Full-Time

2024 Graduation Rate

65.8%

1,445 Graduates

About

College of Charleston is a higher education institution located in Charleston County, SC. In 2024, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at College of Charleston were General Business Administration & Management (205 degrees awarded), Speech Communication & Rhetoric (191 degrees), and General Psychology (189 degrees).

In 2024, 2,435 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at College of Charleston. 68.3% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 31.7% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (1,939 degrees), 13.2 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (147 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at College of Charleston is $12,518, which is $−11,482 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,000).

Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs Masters Colleges and Universities

Costs

In 2024, the median undergraduate tuition at College of Charleston is $12,518, which is $11,482 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,000).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $21,004.

In 2024, 68% of undergraduate students attending College of Charleston received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 38% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$12,518

2024 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2024, the cost of tuition at College of Charleston was $12,518. The cost of tuition at College of Charleston is $−11,482 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($24,000).

This chart compares the tuition costs of College of Charleston (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$21,004

2024 Value

0.952%

1 Year Growth

In 2024 College of Charleston had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $21,004. Between 2023 and 2024, the average net price of College of Charleston grew by 0.952%.

This chart compares the average net price of College of Charleston (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$13,906

Room and Board

$1,454

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at College of Charleston was of $13,906 in 2024. The cost of room and board increased by 8.82% between 2023 and 2024.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,454. The cost of books and supplies increased by 8.1% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at College of Charleston (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

68%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

38%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

68% of undergraduate students at College of Charleston received financial aid through grants or loans in 2024. This represents a growth of 6.25% with respect to 2023, when 64% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at College of Charleston (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Admissions

College of Charleston received 31,680 undergraduate applications in 2024, which represents a 18.7% annual growth. Out of those 31,680 applicants, 19,016 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 60% acceptance rate.

There were 11,926 students enrolled at College of Charleston in 2024. 18% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

College of Charleston has an overall enrollment yield of 11.9%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

60%

Acceptance Rate in 2024

19,016

Accepted Out of 31,680

In 2024, the undergraduate acceptance rate of College of Charleston was 60% (19,016 admissions from 31,680 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2023, which was 72%. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of applicants grew by 18.7%, while admissions declined by 1.02%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of College of Charleston (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

18%

Submission Percentage (2024)

402

Scores Submitted (2024)

18% of enrolled first-time students at College of Charleston in 2024 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

The following chart shows the average SAT scores for the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of applicants for each section of the test that they are evaluated on.

Enrollment

College of Charleston had a total enrollment of 11,926 students in 2024. The full-time enrollment at College of Charleston is 10,381 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,545. This means that 87% of students enrolled at College of Charleston are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at College of Charleston, both undergraduate and graduate, is 78.3% White, 7.23% Hispanic or Latino, 5.92% Black or African American, 3.75% Two or More Races, 1.9% Asian, 0.0839% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0252% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at College of Charleston in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (54.2%), followed by White Male (24.7%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (5.02%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (57.5%), followed by White Male (21.7%) and Black or African American Female (3.75%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

87%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at College of Charleston in 2024, both undergraduate and graduate, is 11,926 students. The full-time enrollment at College of Charleston is 10,381 and the part-time enrollment is 1,545. This means that 87% of students enrolled at College of Charleston are enrolled full-time compared with 67.1% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at College of Charleston (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

82%

2024 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at College of Charleston was 82%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (73%), College of Charleston had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at College of Charleston (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
9,337 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
862 enrolled students
Black or African American
706 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at College of Charleston is 78.3% White, 7.23% Hispanic or Latino, 5.92% Black or African American, 3.75% Two or More Races, 1.9% Asian, 0.0839% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0252% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Masters Colleges and Universities is 47.4% White, 18.8% Hispanic or Latino, and 13.6% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 167 students (1.4%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2024, 891 more women than men received degrees from College of Charleston. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at College of Charleston is white (1,939 degrees awarded). There were 13.2 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (147 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at College of Charleston is General Business Administration & Management (205 degrees awarded), followed by Speech Communication & Rhetoric (191 degrees) and General Psychology (189 degrees).

In 2024, the most specialized majors across all degree types at College of Charleston, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are History (68 degrees awarded), Communications (201 degrees), and Biology (300 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Physicians

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at College of Charleston are Physicians (480,467 people), Other managers (354,710 people), Postsecondary teachers (259,129 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (221,016 people), and Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (196,516 people).

The most specialized majors at College of Charleston in 2024 are History (68 degrees awarded), Communications (201 degrees), Biology (300 degrees), Physical Sciences (69 degrees), and Language & Linguistics (42 degrees) (as of 2024).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at College of Charleston are Surgeons, Diagnostic medical sonographers, Magnetic resonance imaging technologists, Physicians, and Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists

The most specialized majors at College of Charleston are History (68 degrees awarded), Communications (201 degrees), Biology (300 degrees), Physical Sciences (69 degrees), and Language & Linguistics (42 degrees) (as of 2024).

Common Industries by Major

General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at College of Charleston are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (648,643 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (633,453 people), Elementary & secondary schools (587,545 people), Computer Systems Design (279,201 people), and Scientific research & development services (242,927 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by College of Charleston.

Most Common (2024)

General Business Administration & Management
205 degrees awarded
Speech Communication & Rhetoric
191 degrees awarded
General Psychology
189 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common bachelors degree concentration at College of Charleston was General Business Administration & Management with 205 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at College of Charleston according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

772

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2024

1,663

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2024

In 2024, 772 degrees were awarded to men at College of Charleston, which is 0.464 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,663).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at College of Charleston by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2024, 110 degrees were awarded to men at College of Charleston in General Business Administration & Management, which is 0.764 times less than the 144 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2024, 174 degrees were awarded to men at College of Charleston in General Psychology, which is 11.6 times more than the 15 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

57%

100% Completion Time

65%

150% Completion Time

In 2024, 57% of students graduating from College of Charleston completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 65% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 65% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2024)

White
1,939 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
147 degrees awarded
Black or African American
117 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at College of Charleston is white (1,939 degrees awarded). There were 13.2 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (147 degrees).

1.48% of degree recipients (36 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2024)

White Female
1,520 degrees awarded
White Female
1,508 degrees awarded
White Female
1,495 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at College of Charleston is white female (1,520 degrees awarded). There were 1.01 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white female (1,508 degrees).

Operations

College of Charleston has an endowment valued at nearly $148M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 4.58M (3.1%) compared to the 9.2% average return (4.22M on 45.9M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2024, College of Charleston had a total salary expenditure of 325M. College of Charleston employs 173 Associate professors, 150 Professors and 127 Assistant professors. Most academics at College of Charleston are Male Professor (92), Male Associate professor (90), and Female Associate professor (83).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at College of Charleston are: Office and Administrative Support, with 221 employees, Management, with 220 employees, and Business and Financial Operations with 122 employees.

Endowment

$148M

2024 Endowment

14.7%

growth from 2023

College of Charleston has an endowment valued at about $148M, as of the end of the 2024 fiscal year. The endowment of College of Charleston grew 14.7% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $102M higher than than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at College of Charleston (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$7.94M - Federal
$22.6M - State
$117k - Local

As of 2024, College of Charleston received $7.94M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $22.6M from state grants and contracts, and $117k from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$118M

2024 Salaries

5.57%

growth from 2023

In 2024, College of Charleston paid a median of $118M in salaries, which represents 36.4% of their overall expenditure ($325M) and a 5.57% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 8.37% growth between 2022 and 2023, and a 1.23% growth between 2021 and 2022.

Instructional Salaries

$49M

Instructional Salaries

524

Number of Employees

In 2024, College of Charleston paid a total of $49M to 524 employees working as instructors, which represents 41.5% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $965k (3.13%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

Occupations by Share

In 2024, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at College of Charleston were Office and Administrative Support with 221 employees, Management with 220 employees, and Business and Financial Operations with 122 employees.

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