Coastal Carolina University

Conway, SC · SoutheastQuad's selectivityAccessible

Known forTest-optional heavy

Admissions · Fall 2024

8 in 10 applicants admitted

Coastal Carolina admits about 8 in 10 applicants (75%). That puts it in the "Accessible" tier, more selective than 54% of the 1,547 colleges that report admissions.

75%

acceptance rateQuad's selectivityAccessible

Applied

21,028

Admitted

15,828

Yield

17%

of admits enroll

SAT middle 50%

1050–1220

10001600

ACT middle 50%

21–26

1836

Applications +42% since fall 2014 · admit rate 64% → 75%Over time

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

Students

Who's on campus

A medium campus of 10,377 undergrads, where 26% receive Pell Grants, a low share compared to other colleges.

10.4K

undergrads · larger than 89% of colleges

Diversity index

0.43

Pell Grant

26%

below the median

First generation

27%

below the median

Small cityNCAA D-I FBS · Sun Belt ConferenceROTCStudy abroadUndergrad research

Less diverse · index 0.47 → 0.43 since fall 2014Over time

Students and campus life in detail

Academics

Majors and faculty

The most popular major is Business Administration and Management, General (10% of graduates). 17 students for every faculty member, more than at 78% of colleges. 100% of faculty are full-time. Spends $8,741 a year on instruction per student.

17 to 1

students per faculty member · more than at 78% of colleges

What it costs

In 2023–24, the average first-year paid an estimated $30,841 in total (tuition, housing, food, books and other costs, after grants), $6.6K more than the national median. The 94% who received grants paid $14,379 on average; the other 6% paid the full sticker price of $28,418 in-state / $46,406 out-of-state.

23%

$30.8K

average total cost per year, all first-years, after grants (est.) · $6.6K above the national median

Full price, in-state: $28,418 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

Aid generosity

Limited

grants cover 23% of full price

Federal loans

57%

of undergrads · national median 45%

Your price

Net price calculator

the college's own

Financial aid

Financial aid office Veterans' benefits

Cost steady · +1% after inflation since 2013–14Over time

Prices, who gets aid, and borrowing in detail

Outcomes

What it pays

Former students earn a median $47,258 ten years after enrolling, more than at 30% of colleges; 53% graduate within six years. Four years of net price is about 2.6 years of that salary.

53%

graduate within six years · national median 59%

Median earnings

$47.3K

10 years after entry

Median debt

$23.8K

≈ $252/month for 10 years

Retention

77%

come back for year two

Graduation rate 45% → 48% since the class that entered fall 2008Over time

Earnings, finishing, 8-year outcomes, by group

Over time · since 2013–14

How it's changed

Since 2013–14, the full price rose 3% after inflation, and what the average first-year paid moved with it. Applications rose 42% since fall 2014, and the acceptance rate went from 64% to 75%.

Cost
Steady
+1% after inflation
Applications
Growing
+42%
Selectivity
Less selective
admit rate 64% → 75%
Diversity
Less diverse
index 0.47 → 0.43

Every series, year by year

Keep exploring

Schools like this one

University of Idaho

76% admit · SAT 1110 · 7.7K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar scoresSimilar size

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Idaho State University

7.6K undergrads

Similar sizeAlso public

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University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

75% admit · 6.4K undergrads

Similar selectivitySimilar sizeAlso public

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Southern Utah University

82% admit · 9.3K undergrads

Similar sizeAlso public

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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

IPEDS unit ID 218724 · 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