Skip to content
AlmaSpire

Conway, SC · Public · 10,377 undergraduates · urban

Coastal Carolina University

Less selective

Coastal Carolina's clearest academic advantage comes from combining marine science with direct access to South Carolina's coastal systems.

Institutional profile

Regionally focused Solid in affordability, and steady in academic standing.
Academic Steady Affordability Solid Career Emerging Mobility Emerging Experience Steady
Academic standing Steady
Affordability Solid
Career outcomes Emerging
Mobility Emerging
Student experience Steady
Admission
80.2% admitted

18,223 applicants in the reported year

Price by income
Resident and nonresident prices differ

Compare recent average annual costs by household income

Completion
52.5%

$47,258 median earnings 10 years after enrollment

What sets Coastal Carolina University apart

Academic design

Marine science is a substantial undergraduate program with research, fieldwork, and vertically integrated projects.

Campus pattern

Conway sits inland from Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand coastline.

Career & value signal

Coastal ecosystems and the region's tourism economy create natural field and internship settings.

Can I get in?

80.2% admitted

Start with the academic record, then make the intended direction and school-specific fit concrete.

Recent applicant pool

18,223

About 80 in every 100 applicants were admitted.

Admission rate 80.2%
Entering class

Academic range

SAT middle 50%1050–1210
9401320
ACT middle 50%20–26
1630

Of admitted students, 26% submitted an SAT, and 9% submitted an ACT. Because ACT scores came from few admitted students, the range describes that self-selected group rather than the full class.

Entered with a 4.0 GPA36.6%

In the season card

Where your GPA sits in the entering class

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

See where I land

In the season card

What Coastal Carolina 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

Marine science is a substantial undergraduate program with research, fieldwork, and vertically integrated projects.

02

Make institutional fit specific

Coastal Carolina's clearest academic advantage comes from combining marine science with direct access to South Carolina's coastal systems.

03

Use the application route carefully

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 assemble each required item once.

Early DecisionOct 19
Early ActionNov 16
Regular DecisionFeb 15
Fee and waiver$60 application fee

Fee waiver: accepted

Major and program admission

Some fields have their own entry path.

The college admit rate above covers the university as a whole. These requirements apply only to the named program.

BusinessAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Teacher preparationAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

Hospitality and hotel managementAdmits separately

What this program asks for, and when it closes.

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$30,074
Average annual cost after aid, in-state$14,000
Affordability profileSolid

In the season card

Average annual cost by household income at Coastal Carolina 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

Read completion, borrowing, field mix, and earnings together. One university-wide earnings figure does not describe every student path.

Complete within 8 years52.5%

Degree completion across the reported entering cohort

Return after year one76.6%

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$47,258

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.

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness

Recent graduates215
Median earnings$50,228

Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology

Recent graduates141
Median earnings$45,323

Psychology, General

Recent graduates130
Median earnings$45,469

Marketing

Recent graduates129
Median earnings$62,373

Admits separately

What is campus life like?

Coastal Carolina University beyond the classroom

Conway sits inland from Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand coastline.

Academics

A defining academic feature

Marine science is a substantial undergraduate program with research, fieldwork, and vertically integrated projects.

Campus setting

What shapes an ordinary week

Conway sits inland from Myrtle Beach and the Grand Strand coastline.

Career & value

Where the degree can lead

Coastal ecosystems and the region's tourism economy create natural field and internship settings.

10,377 undergraduatesSoutheasturban setting83.4% of first-year students live on campus