Quad

Head-to-head

College of Charleston
U. South Carolina-Columbia

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    U. South Carolina-Columbia costs about $11.2K less per year on average than College of Charleston ($27,484 vs. $38,660, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    U. South Carolina-Columbia has 2.8× as many undergrads as College of Charleston

    Undergrads
  3. 3

    U. South Carolina-Columbia graduates 12 pts more of its students than College of Charleston (77% vs. 64%)

    Graduation rate
  4. 4

    U. South Carolina-Columbia's yield is 11 pts higher than College of Charleston's

    Yield rate
  5. 5

    U. South Carolina-Columbia is more diverse (index 0.46 vs. 0.37)

    Diversity index
  6. 6

    U. South Carolina-Columbia grads earn $5.8K more ten years out than College of Charleston's ($62,177 vs. $56,416)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs

The shape of each school

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

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

U. South Carolina-Columbia admits 57%, College of Charleston 60%; U. South Carolina-Columbia's yield is higher, at 23%.

Acceptance rate
College of Charleston60%
U. South Carolina-Columbia57%
Quad's selectivity
  • College of CharlestonSelective
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaSelectivefrom South CarolinaVery selectivefrom other states
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
College of Charleston
1140–1310
U. South Carolina-Columbia
1200–1360
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • College of CharlestonGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaGPA very important48%

Who's on each campus

U. South Carolina-Columbia has 2.8× as many undergrads as College of Charleston; both have the same Pell share, 19%.

Undergrads
College of Charleston10.6K
U. South Carolina-Columbia29.8K
Pell Grant share
College of Charleston19%
U. South Carolina-Columbia19%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at College of Charleston, and Public Health at U. South Carolina-Columbia.

Students per faculty member
College of Charleston16 to 1
U. South Carolina-Columbia19 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • College of CharlestonBusiness Administration and Management, General10%
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaPublic Health, General8%

What each costs

U. South Carolina-Columbia costs about $11.2K less a year than College of Charleston on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
College of Charleston$38.7K
U. South Carolina-Columbia$27.5K
Aid generosity
College of Charleston18%
U. South Carolina-Columbia19%

What each pays off

U. South Carolina-Columbia's former students earn more, a median $62.2K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
College of Charleston$56.4K
U. South Carolina-Columbia$62.2K
Graduation rate
College of Charleston64%
U. South Carolina-Columbia77%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got more selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • College of CharlestonGrowing+183%
  • U. South Carolina-ColumbiaGrowing+126%
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 2018;University of South Carolina-Columbia (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2027 applicants;University of South Carolina-Columbia Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About 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