College of Charleston

Non-profit public

Public

Private

Regional

Founded in 1770, the College of Charleston is the oldest higher education institution in South Carolina. Today, the institution serves more than 12,000 students, delivering affordable and career-relevant degrees through its nine academic schools. Incoming first-year students undergo a holistic evaluation process that considers their academic preparedness (including ACT/SAT performance), leadership qualifications, and extracurricular accomplishments. Transfer candidates need a minimum 2.6 GPA if they reside in the state and a minimum 3.0 if they come from outside of South Carolina. Financial aid opportunities include the Charles Kaiser Award for Outstanding Psychology Students. Undergraduate majors include marine biology, women's and gender studies, commercial real estate finance, and hospitality and tourism management. Students can enroll in a public health program, which prepares them for careers in epidemiology and health policy. CofC also delivers a flexible bachelor of professional studies track that enables working adults to finish their college education. Graduate degrees cover fields like creative writing; data science and analytics; and teaching, learning, and advocacy.

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Admissions Breakdown

Acceptance Rate Insight

62% of students were accepted during the 2020-2021 school year. Sometimes schools with midrange acceptance rates have higher standards of entry but are still accessible to many students who apply.

Retention Rate Insight

94% of full-time students stayed to continue their studies the following academic year. These students started in Fall 2019 and returned in Fall 2020.

Graduation Rate Insight

85% of students graduated out of all full-time, first-time students who began their studies in Fall 2014. Keep in mind many students who enroll are not typically first-time students, as most are adult learners. Therefore, the number of first-time students is traditionally low.

Application Considerations

Test scores:	Required	High school transcript:	Required
High school rank:	Considered (not required)	Letter of recommendation:	Not required or recommended
High school GPA:	Required	Open admission:	No
Completion of college prep program:	Required	Test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL):

Transfer Credit Policy

Dual enrollment: Yes

Advance placement (AP) credits: Yes

Credit for qualified life experience*:

ⓘ *This can include previous jobs, trainings, licenses/credentials, or seminars. You may need to complete an exam or provide a portfolio to earn credit.

Learning Environment

26k

Students enrolledOnline student enrollmentStudent to faculty ratio

85%

Online student enrollmentStudent to faculty ratio

16:1

Student to faculty ratio

Degrees Awarded by Program

Degrees given for the 2020-2021 academic year.

#	Programs	BA	MA	Doc
1	Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields	✔	✔	✔
2	Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, And Related Sciences	✔	✔	✔
3	Architecture And Related Services	✔	✔	✔
4	Area, Ethnic, Cultural, And Gender Studies	✔	✕	✕
5	Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, And Group Studies	✔	✕	✕
6	Biological And Biomedical Sciences	✔	✔	✔
7	Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services	✔	✔	✔
8	Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs	✔	✔	✔
9	Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services	✔	✔	✔
10	Education	✔	✔	✔
11	Engineering Technologies/Technicians	✔	✔	✔
12	Engineering	✔	✔	✔
13	Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians	✔	✔	✔
14	English Language And Literature/Letters	✔	✔	✕
15	Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences	✔	✔	✔
16	Foreign Languages, Literatures, And Linguistics	✔	✕	✕
17	Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences	✔	✔	✔
18	Health Professions And Related Programs	✔	✔	✔
19	History	✔	✔	✕
20	History	✔	✔	✕
21	Mathematics And Statistics	✔	✔	✔
22	Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies	✕	✔	✕
23	Natural Resources And Conservation	✔	✔	✔
24	Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies	✔	✔	✔
25	Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, And Kinesiology	✔	✔	✔
26	Philosophy And Religious Studies	✔	✕	✕
27	Physical Sciences	✔	✔	✔
28	Psychology	✔	✔	✔
29	Public Administration And Social Service Professions	✕	✔	✔
30	Social Sciences	✔	✔	✔
31	Visual And Performing Arts	✔	✔	✕