Charleston Southern University
Charleston, South Carolina · Private nonprofit · 4-year · City
Official websiteAt a glance
- Average net price
- $21,666What students typically pay per year after grants and scholarships.
- Acceptance rate
- 96%
- Graduation rate
- 48%Share of students who finish within 150% of the normal time.
- Undergraduates
- 2,893
- In-state tuition
- $32,520Published price before aid.
- Out-of-state tuition
- $32,520
- SAT midpoint
- 1,095
- Median earnings, 10 yrs
- $45,898Median earnings of former students ten years after they first enrolled.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Data year: 2022-23 academic year. Updated September 2026. Figures are averages across all students and will differ from what any individual pays.
How it compares to similar colleges
Each rating covers one measure against private nonprofit 4-year colleges nationally. Five stars means the top fifth on that measure. There is no overall score, because which of these matters is your call.
Affordability
$21,6663/5
Better than 57% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1092 compared).
Completion
48%2/5
Better than 30% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1063 compared).
Earnings
$45,8982/5
Better than 25% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1087 compared).
Debt at graduation
$26,4712/5
Better than 25% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges (1020 compared).
What these ratings are based on
- Affordability
- Based on average net price: what students receiving federal aid actually paid, after grants and scholarships. Your own cost depends on your family's finances.
- Completion
- Based on the share of first-time, full-time students who graduate within 150% of normal time. It excludes transfer and part-time students, which understates colleges serving many of them.
- Earnings
- Based on median earnings ten years after students first enrolled. It reflects the subjects a college teaches and the region it sits in as much as its teaching.
- Debt at graduation
- Based on median federal loan debt among students who completed. Private and parent loans are not included, so real totals are often higher.
- Why there is no rating for selectivity
- A lower acceptance rate is selectivity, not quality. Awarding stars for it would be us inventing a value judgement and hiding it behind a number.
What it actually costs
Published cost
$44,558
The sticker price: tuition, fees, housing, food and books for one academic year, before any aid.
Average net price
$21,666
What students receiving federal aid actually paid on average, after grants and scholarships. This is the more useful number, though your own figure depends on your family’s finances.
Outcomes
| Graduation rateWithin 150% of normal time | 48% |
|---|---|
| Retention rateFirst-year students who return | 63% |
| Median debt at graduationFederal loans only, students who completed | $26,471 |
| Median earnings, 10 years after entryFormer students, working and not enrolled | $45,898 |
What graduates of each major earn
Median earnings one year after finishing, for people who took that subject here. This is the figure a college-wide median hides: the spread between subjects at one college is usually far wider than the spread between colleges.
| Major | Earnings, 1 yr | Degrees awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $66,310 | 80 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $64,920 | 45 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $40,612 | 20 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $40,478 | 22 |
| Psychology, General | $35,364 | 29 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $33,633 | 23 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $33,518 | 16 |
| Biology, General | $29,891 | 32 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $26,722 | 25 |
| Social Sciences, General | $23,797 | 16 |
| Public Health | Not reported | 27 |
| Design and Applied Arts | Not reported | 19 |
| Marketing | Not reported | 14 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | Not reported | 11 |
| Human Resources Management and Services | Not reported | 9 |
| Computer Science | Not reported | 8 |
| Security Science and Technology | Not reported | 8 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Not reported | 7 |
| Political Science and Government | Not reported | 7 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Not reported | 6 |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | Not reported | 6 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Not reported | 6 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions | Not reported | 6 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Not reported | 5 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology | Not reported | 5 |
| Engineering, General | Not reported | 4 |
| Sociology | Not reported | 4 |
| History | Not reported | 4 |
| Applied Mathematics | Not reported | 4 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Not reported | 4 |
| Mathematics | Not reported | 3 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | Not reported | 3 |
| Religion/Religious Studies | Not reported | 2 |
| Music | Not reported | 2 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | Not reported | 2 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Not reported | 2 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 1 |
| Religious Music and Worship | Not reported | 1 |
| Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Not reported | 1 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Not reported | 1 |
| Air Transportation | Not reported | 1 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions | Not reported | 1 |
| Chemistry | Not reported | 1 |
| Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology | Not reported | 1 |
| Theological and Ministerial Studies | Not reported | 1 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Not reported | Not reported |
| Military Systems and Maintenance Technology | Not reported | Not reported |
| Natural Sciences | Not reported | Not reported |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | Not reported | Not reported |
| Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries | Not reported | Not reported |
| Economics | Not reported | Not reported |
| Information Science/Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Business/Commerce, General | Not reported | Not reported |
| Management Information Systems and Services | Not reported | Not reported |
| Philosophy | Not reported | Not reported |
| Non-Professional Legal Studies | Not reported | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Not reported | Not reported |
All 57 bachelor’s programs this college reported.
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