$56,416
median earnings, 10 years after starting
College of Charleston is a public 4-year college in Charleston, South Carolina with 10,558 undergraduates and 1,046 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $18,960 a year (tuition and fees $12,978 in-state, $38,296 out-of-state). It admits 60% of applicants and 66% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $56,416 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $23,250 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$18,960
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$12,978
Out-of-state $38,296
Admission rate
60%
US median 78%
Completion rate
66%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$23,250
About $246 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$56,416
Rank 999 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $18,960
- Tuition in-state
- $12,978
- Tuition out-of-state
- $38,296
- Cost of attendance
- $32,362
- Students with a need-based grant
- 19%
- Students with federal loans
- 38%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $12,133
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $13,406
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $16,797
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $20,089
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $24,996
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $11,322 in 2015-16 to $12,978 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 60%
- Average SAT
- 1,247
- SAT reading, middle
- 610
- SAT math, middle
- 575
- ACT, middle
- 26
- Undergraduates
- 10,558
- Graduate students
- 1,046
- Part-time students
- 4.4%
- Women
- 68%
- Students per teacher
- 16
- Completion rate
- 66%
- Retention rate
- 82%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 91
- Endowment
- $147.5M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 999 of 5,094 US colleges and 9 of 78 in South Carolina (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | SC median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $18,960 | $16,583 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $12,978 | $12,978 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 60% | 75% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 66% | 46% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 82% | 69% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $23,250 | $15,392 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $43,821 | $33,444 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $56,416 | $38,826 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 60% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 73% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
91 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 178 | $21,798 | $41,299 | $71,360 | $68,257 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 161 | $23,750 | $29,339 | $47,926 | $50,706 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 153 | $21,500 | $36,903 | $58,371 | $56,359 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 133 | $23,250 | $30,538 | $55,342 | $57,214 |
| Public HealthBachelor's | Bachelor's | 129 | $25,146 | $31,848 | $55,660 | $58,808 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 115 | $24,087 | $41,402 | $46,036 | $47,382 |
| MarketingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 95 | $19,500 | $40,723 | $68,348 | $69,303 |
| Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's | Bachelor's | 86 | $24,000 | $35,398 | $58,955 | $63,293 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 60 | $21,500 | $23,713 | $52,674 | $48,240 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 57 | $19,826 | $24,070 | $38,378 | $41,367 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related SciencesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 56 | $23,250 | $27,467 | $58,317 | $62,172 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 55 | $20,500 | $54,634 | $84,187 | $83,343 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 55 | $25,500 | $28,449 | $47,424 | $50,680 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 53 | $36,116 | $67,635 | $97,539 | $103,485 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 50 | $23,250 | $67,438 | $98,059 | $92,374 |
| International/Globalization StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 48 | $16,554 | $25,764 | $60,468 | $59,972 |
| Hospitality Administration/ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 47 | $23,323 | $39,688 | $64,154 | $56,726 |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 43 | $23,250 | $29,544 | $51,705 | $48,590 |
| SociologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 43 | $25,000 | $28,801 | $48,709 | $52,657 |
| ChemistryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 37 | $27,000 | $39,208 | Withheld | $65,120 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 37 | $25,000 | $49,702 | $85,826 | $76,194 |
| International BusinessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 35 | $19,500 | $37,624 | $76,727 | $73,201 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's | Master's | 34 | Withheld | $47,291 | $53,477 | $59,916 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 33 | $25,000 | Withheld | $42,466 | $48,842 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 30 | $36,453 | $45,613 | Withheld | $55,693 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: South Carolina on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in South Carolina
- Homes: Homes for sale in South Carolina
Questions and answers
How much does College of Charleston cost?
$18,960 a year is the average net price at College of Charleston after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $12,978 for in-state students and $38,296 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $32,362. Families earning under $30,000 pay $12,133 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at College of Charleston?
60% of applicants are admitted to College of Charleston. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,247 and the middle ACT score is 26. The median admission rate of colleges in South Carolina is 75%.
How much do College of Charleston graduates earn?
$56,416 a year is the median pay of former College of Charleston students who work, 10 years after they started ($43,821 after 6 years). That ranks 999 of 5,094 US colleges and 9 of 78 in South Carolina. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Accounting and Related Services (Master's) at $70,310.
How much student debt do College of Charleston graduates have?
$23,250 is the median federal student loan debt of College of Charleston graduates, about $246 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 38% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at College of Charleston?
66% of first-time, full-time students at College of Charleston finish within 6 years. 82% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at College of Charleston?
Business Administration, Management and Operations (178 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (161 bachelor's graduates), Communication and Media Studies (153 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 91 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.