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Charleston, SC · Private · 2,893 undergraduates · urban

Charleston Southern University

Less selective

Its defining feature is career-oriented study inside an explicitly Christian university environment near Charleston.

Campus image / Charleston Southern University

Institutional profile

Regionally focused Strongest in affordability and mobility.
Academic Emerging Affordability Steady Career Emerging Mobility Steady Experience Emerging
Academic standing Emerging
Affordability Steady
Career outcomes Emerging
Mobility Steady
Student experience Emerging
Admission
76.1% admitted

6,072 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Varies across five income ranges

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
46.1%

$45,898 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Charleston Southern University apart

Academic design

The university is organized across seven colleges and offers more than 60 undergraduate programs. Professional study is framed within a faith-based curriculum and mission.

Campus pattern

The campus sits in North Charleston, away from the historic peninsula but within the larger Charleston employment and cultural region. Worship, service, athletics and student organizations are visible parts of campus life.

Defining feature

Its defining feature is career-oriented study inside an explicitly Christian university environment near Charleston.

Can I get in?

76.1% admitted

Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.

Recent applicant pool

6,072

About 76 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 76.1%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%950–1160
8201300
ACT middle 50%17–24
1229

Of admitted students, 47% submitted an SAT, and 33% submitted an ACT. Decide by comparing your score with the published range and the rest of your academic record.

Academic benchmarkLess selective

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

The full entering-class GPA distribution for Charleston Southern University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.

See where I land

In the season card

What Charleston Southern University weighs when it reads a file

See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.

  • Course rigor  
  • GPA  
  • Test scores  
  • Essay  
  • Recommendations  
  • Extracurriculars  
  • Demonstrated interest  
See what counts here

What moves the application

The evidence that separates a strong file

01

Show preparation for this curriculum

The university is organized across seven colleges and offers more than 60 undergraduate programs. Professional study is framed within a faith-based curriculum and mission.

02

Make the fit specific

Its defining feature is career-oriented study inside an explicitly Christian university environment near Charleston.

03

Account for the tradeoff

Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.

How to apply

Rounds, route, and required materials

Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.

Regular Decisionrolling
Fee and waiver$25 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Can I afford it?

Compare annual cost by household income.

Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.

Published annual cost$52,254
Average annual cost after aid$22,000
Affordability profileSteady

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Charleston Southern University

Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.

  • $0–30k 
  • $30–48k 
  • $48–75k 
  • $75–110k 
  • $110k+ 
Open the price by income

Is it worth it?

Completion, debt, and earnings

Its defining feature is career-oriented study inside an explicitly Christian university environment near Charleston.

Complete within 8 years46.1%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one62.5%

First-year students who return for year two

Median federal debtWhat students owe on the way out

And what that comes to against what they earn.

Median earnings$45,898

Reported 10 years after enrollment

Academic portfolio

Largest bachelor’s fields

How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing

Recent graduates80
Median earnings$75,175

Business Administration, Management and Operations

Recent graduates45
Median earnings$69,117

Biology, General

Recent graduates32
Median earnings$46,399

Psychology, General

Recent graduates29
Median earnings$41,934

Public Health

Recent graduates27
Median earnings

What is campus life like?

Charleston Southern University beyond the classroom

The campus sits in North Charleston, away from the historic peninsula but within the larger Charleston employment and cultural region. Worship, service, athletics and student organizations are visible parts of campus life.

Academics

A defining academic feature

The university is organized across seven colleges and offers more than 60 undergraduate programs. Professional study is framed within a faith-based curriculum and mission.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

The campus sits in North Charleston, away from the historic peninsula but within the larger Charleston employment and cultural region. Worship, service, athletics and student organizations are visible parts of campus life.

Distinctive edge

What changes the experience

Its defining feature is career-oriented study inside an explicitly Christian university environment near Charleston.

2,893 undergraduatesSoutheasturban settingCampus housing available