College of Charleston: the complete school report for parents

What does College of Charleston actually weigh in admissions?

College of Charleston rates 2 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA. It does not consider 2 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is College of Charleston's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

62% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.96 on a 4 scale, reported for 100% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

What is the College of Charleston waitlist really like?

College of Charleston offered a place on its waiting list to 2,819 applicants and 972 accepted one. 521 were ultimately admitted. That is 53.6% of those who waited.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

College of Charleston admitted 92.1% of 1,688 transfer applicants, against 73.0% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.4.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

College of Charleston reports its early rounds below.

What does my child need to take in high school?

College of Charleston requires 20 academic units and recommends 23. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.

What will College of Charleston actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $18,960 a year at College of Charleston after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $12,518. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 50.6% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 1,074 merit awards averaging $6,448 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

What families at each income level actually paid:

54% of College of Charleston graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $37,023 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $246 a month in repayment. College of Charleston’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from College of Charleston pay off?

Graduates earn a median $56,416 ten years after entering, and $43,821 at six years. 78% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 60% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$110,457 to $38,359, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at College of Charleston:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

82% of first-years return for a second year. 56% graduate within four years and 65% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 53.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 69.5% of everyone else, a gap of 16.5 points.

How big are the classes?

30% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 16:1, and 65% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

What is life at College of Charleston like?

10,596 undergraduates, 56.3% of first-years from out of state. 90.7% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 33.4% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 16.3% of men join a fraternity and 26.6% of women a sorority. 20% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $66,962.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten. College of Charleston recommends 23 academic units.
• 62% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.96. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• The waitlist is live but thin: 521 of 972 who waited were admitted, about 54%.
• Its highest-earning major returns $110,457 five years out against $38,359 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about College of Charleston

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