Quad

Head-to-head

Charleston Southern
Upper Iowa

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Upper Iowa's yield is 16 pts higher than Charleston Southern's

    Yield rate
  2. 2

    Upper Iowa has 14 pts more first-gen students than Charleston Southern (45% vs. 31%)

    First-generation students
  3. 3

    Upper Iowa grads earn $6.9K more ten years out than Charleston Southern's ($52,766 vs. $45,898)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  4. 4

    Charleston Southern is a bit larger (2,893 vs. 1,994)

    Undergrads
  5. 5

    Upper Iowa graduates 3 pts more of its students than Charleston Southern (49% vs. 46%)

    Graduation rate
  6. 6

    Charleston Southern has 3 pts more Pell recipients than Upper Iowa (34% vs. 32%)

    Pell Grant recipients

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

Charleston Southern admits 96%, Upper Iowa 96%; Upper Iowa's yield is higher, at 34%.

Acceptance rate
Charleston Southern96%
Upper Iowa96%
Quad's selectivity
  • Charleston SouthernOpen
  • Upper IowaOpen
SAT middle 50%Axis 800–1600
Charleston Southern
930–1160
Upper IowaNot reported
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Charleston SouthernGPA and school record required
  • Upper IowaGPA and school record required

Who's on each campus

Charleston Southern is a bit larger than Upper Iowa (2,893 vs. 1,994 undergrads) and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
Charleston Southern2.9K
Upper Iowa2K
Pell Grant share
Charleston Southern34%
Upper Iowa32%

Majors and faculty

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse leads at Charleston Southern, and Business Administration and Management at Upper Iowa.

Students per faculty member
Charleston Southern12 to 1
Upper Iowa25 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Charleston SouthernRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse14%
  • Upper IowaBusiness Administration and Management, General21%

What each costs

Only Upper Iowa reports an average cost ($20.8K).

Average cost, all students
Charleston SouthernNot reported
Upper Iowa$20.8K
Aid generosity
Charleston SouthernNot reported
Upper Iowa39%

What each pays off

Upper Iowa's former students earn more, a median $52.8K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 49% at Upper Iowa to 46% at Charleston Southern.

Median earnings, 10 years
Charleston Southern$45.9K
Upper Iowa$52.8K
Graduation rate
Charleston Southern46%
Upper Iowa49%

How each has changed

Applications grew at Charleston Southern but fell at Upper Iowa; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Charleston SouthernGrowing+11%
  • Upper IowaShrinking−68%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why