Quad

Head-to-head

College of Charleston
James Madison

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    James Madison graduates 17 pts more of its students than College of Charleston (82% vs. 64%)

    Graduation rate
  2. 2

    James Madison grads earn $13.5K more ten years out than College of Charleston's ($69,954 vs. $56,416)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  3. 3

    James Madison is more diverse (index 0.46 vs. 0.37)

    Diversity index
  4. 4

    James Madison has 2.0× as many undergrads as College of Charleston

    Undergrads
  5. 5

    James Madison costs about $5.9K less per year on average than College of Charleston ($32,777 vs. $38,660, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  6. 6

    College of Charleston's grants cover 18% of its full price on average, vs. 11% at James Madison

    Aid generosity

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

College of Charleston admits 60%, James Madison 72%; James Madison's yield is higher, at 18%.

Acceptance rate
College of Charleston60%
James Madison72%
Quad's selectivity
  • College of CharlestonSelective
  • James MadisonSelective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1000–1600
College of Charleston
1140–1310
James Madison
1170–1340
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • College of CharlestonGPA, school record, and prep program required
  • James MadisonGPA very important

Who's on each campus

James Madison is twice College of Charleston's size; College of Charleston has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
College of Charleston10.6K
James Madison20.9K
Pell Grant share
College of Charleston19%
James Madison17%

Majors and faculty

Business Administration and Management leads at College of Charleston, and Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences at James Madison.

Students per faculty member
College of Charleston16 to 1
James Madison17 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • College of CharlestonBusiness Administration and Management, General10%
  • James MadisonHealth Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General9%

What each costs

James Madison costs about $5.9K less a year than College of Charleston on average; College of Charleston's grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
College of Charleston$38.7K
James Madison$32.8K
Aid generosity
College of Charleston18%
James Madison11%

What each pays off

James Madison's former students earn more, a median $70K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 60% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
College of Charleston$56.4K
James Madison$70K
Graduation rate
College of Charleston64%
James Madison82%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; College of Charleston got more selective while James Madison got less.

Applications, 10-year change
  • College of CharlestonGrowing+183%
  • James MadisonGrowing+70%
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;James Madison University Common Data Set 2023–24, Fall 2025 applicantsAbout 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