Charleston Southern University

Charleston, SC · SoutheastQuad's selectivityOpen

Known forTest-optional heavyFaith-centered

Website Admissions Apply Visit Financial aid

Admissions · Fall 2024

10 in 10 applicants admitted

Charleston Southern admits about 10 in 10 applicants (96%). That puts it in the "Open" tier, more selective than 9% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

96%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityOpen

Applied

4,660

Admitted

4,495

Yield

18%

of admits enroll

SAT middle 50%

930–1160

8001600

ACT middle 50%

18–24

1236

Applications +11% since fall 2014 · admit rate 59% → 96%Over time

Getting in, in detail: funnel, what they look at, your scores

Students

Who's on campus

A small campus of 2,893 undergrads, where 34% receive Pell Grants, a typical share compared to other colleges.

2.9K

undergrads · larger than 68% of colleges

Diversity index

0.60

Pell Grant

34%

about the median

First generation

31%

below the median

Midsize cityNCAA D-I FCS · Big South ConferenceROTCStudy abroad

More diverse · index 0.56 → 0.60 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse (14% of graduates). 12 students for every faculty member, fewer than at 59% of colleges. 58% of faculty are full-time. Spends $9,047 a year on instruction per student.

12 to 1

students per faculty member · fewer than at 59% of colleges

What it costs

What students pay, price by family income, debt, and who gets grants.

$21.1K

net price per year for first-years with grants

Full price: $44,558 a year; tuition, housing, food, books, and other costs
Need-based aid: Published data end at $110K; use the college's net price calculator for higher incomes
Merit aid: 30% · avg $24K; of first-years got a grant without federal aid (a proxy: at most colleges that's merit aid)

Federal loans

48%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $45,898 ten years after enrolling, more than at 26% of colleges; 46% graduate within six years.

46%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$45.9K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$26.5K

≈ $281/month for 10 years

Retention

63%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 34% → 47% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Applications rose 11% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 59% to 96%.

Applications
Growing
+11%
Selectivity
Less selective
admit rate 59% → 96%
Diversity
More diverse
index 0.56 → 0.60

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

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Point Park University

97% admit · 2.3K undergrads

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Upper Iowa University

96% admit · 2K undergrads

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Colorado Christian University

5.5K undergrads

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Sources for this overviewEvery dataset and year behind the numbers on this profile; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources for this profile

1
IPEDS directory (Institutional Characteristics: HD)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
2
College Scorecard
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release; Entered fall 2023; Fall 2024; 2023–24; Fall 2023 · retrieved 2026-10-12
3
IPEDS Admissions survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
4
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
5
IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey (athletics, programs, services, religious affiliation)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2025–26 · retrieved 2026-10-12
6
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
7
IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2024–25 graduates · retrieved 2026-10-12
8
College Scorecard Field of Study data
U.S. Department of Education · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
9
IPEDS Finance survey, derived per-student figures
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
10
IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · 2023–24 · retrieved 2026-10-12
11
Common Data Set
Each college (voluntary, standardized template) · most recent release · retrieved 2026-10-12
12
IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Entered fall 2018 · retrieved 2026-10-12
13
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part C, residence of first-time students)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
14
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part A, enrollment by level)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
15
IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (distance education)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
16
IPEDS Salaries survey (SAL, instructional staff, all ranks)
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Fall 2024 · retrieved 2026-10-12
17
IPEDS Outcome Measures survey
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) · Students entering fall 2016 · retrieved 2026-10-12
18
Charleston Southern University (2026)
Charleston Southern University · 2026 · retrieved 2026-10-04

IPEDS unit ID 217688 · Data retrieved 2026-10-12. Tap any ⓘ to see where that number came from and what year it describes. National ranks and medians include every 4-year college that reports the measure. How we source and calculate everything