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Charleston Southern University: Rankings, Admissions, Cost & Majors

Fair Price Value for Your Money
96% Acceptance Rate
6% Student Loan Default Rate

Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit institution in Charleston, South Carolina enrolling 2,893 undergraduates. It accepts 96% of applicants and has an on-time graduation rate of 47%, above the national average of 33%. College Factual ranks it #2,014 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in its 2027 Best Colleges ranking (top 39%), and its Value for Your Money analysis rates it a Fair Price.

Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.

How Is Charleston Southern University Ranked?

Charleston Southern University ranks #2,014 of 5,159 colleges nationwide in College Factual’s 2027 Best Colleges ranking, placing it in the top 39%.

#2,014 Best Colleges in Nation
#28 Best Colleges in SC
Charleston Southern University ranking badge

2027 Rankings

College Factual recognizes the best colleges and universities in its annual rankings. These rankings include categories for best overall colleges, best colleges for each major, best value schools, and much more.

Overall Quality

College Factual ranked Charleston Southern University as #2,014 out of 5,159 colleges and universities in the country on its 2027 Best Colleges list.

Within the state, Charleston Southern University holds the #28 spot on the Best Colleges in South Carolina ranking.

See all of the rankings for Charleston Southern University.

Is It Hard to Get Into Charleston Southern University?

96% Acceptance Rate
97% Of Accepted Are Women
49% Submit SAT Scores

Acceptance Rate

Charleston Southern University has an acceptance rate of 96%, so it is easier to gain admission to this school than some others. Still, the admissions staff will examine your application closely to make sure you’re a good fit for Charleston Southern University.

Average Test Scores

About 49% of students accepted to Charleston Southern University submitted their SAT scores. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores ranged between 480 and 600. Math scores were between 450 and 560.

SAT Reading and Writing Scores for Charleston Southern University  ( 480 to 600 )
200
800
SAT Math Scores for Charleston Southern University  ( 450 to 560 )
200
800

Charleston Southern University received ACT scores from 31% of accepted students. When looking at the 25th through the 75th percentile, ACT Composite scores ranged between 18 and 24.

ACT Composite Scores for Charleston Southern University  ( 18 to 24 )
1
36

Learn more about Charleston Southern University admissions.

What Is the Student-to-Faculty Ratio at Charleston Southern University?

12 to 1 Student to Faculty
58% Full Time Teachers

Student to Faculty Ratio

At Charleston Southern University, the student to faculty ratio is an excellent 12 to 1. That’s much better than the national average of 15 to 1. This indicates that many classes will probably be small, and students will have ample opportunities to work closely with their professors and classmates.

Percent of Full-Time Faculty

When estimating how much access students will have to their teachers, some people like to look at what percentage of faculty members are full time. This is because part-time teachers may not have as much time to spend on campus as their full-time counterparts.

The full-time faculty percentage at Charleston Southern University is 58%. This is higher than the national average of 47%.

Full-Time Faculty Percent  58 out of 100
0
100

What Are the Graduation and Retention Rates at Charleston Southern University?

63% Freshmen Retention
47% On-Time Graduation Rate

Freshmen Retention Rate

The freshmen retention rate tells us what percentage of first-year, full-time students choose to continue on to their sophomore year at a particular school. The rate at Charleston Southern University is 63%, which is about average when compared to the national rate of 68%.

Freshmen Retention Rate  63 out of 100
0
100

Graduation Rate

Students are considered to have graduated on time if they finish their studies within four years. At Charleston Southern University the on-time graduation rate of first-time, full-time students is 47%. That is great when compared to the national average of 33.3%.

On-Time Graduation Rate  47 out of 100
0
100

Find out more about the retention and graduation rates at Charleston Southern University.

How Diverse Is Charleston Southern University?

2,893 Undergraduate Students
32.7% Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
61.6% Percent Women

During the most recent academic year, there were 2,893 undergraduates at Charleston Southern University.

Get more detailed information on the diversity at Charleston Southern University.

How Much Does Charleston Southern University Cost?

$17,140 Net Price
48% Take Out Loans
$25,688 Total Student Loans

The overall average net price of Charleston Southern University is $17,140. The affordability of the school largely depends on your financial need since net price varies by income group. See the table below for the net price for different income groups.

Net Price by Income Group for Charleston Southern University

$0-30 K $30K-48K $48-75 $75-110K $110K +
$20,145 $23,024 $20,697 $21,648 $23,226

The net price is calculated by adding tuition, room, board and other costs and subtracting financial aid. Note that the net price is typically less than the published price for a school. For more information on the sticker price of Charleston Southern University, see our tuition and fees and room and board pages.

Student Loan Debt

It’s not uncommon for college students to take out loans to pay for school. In fact, almost 66% of students nationwide depend at least partially on loans. At Charleston Southern University, approximately 48% of students took out student loans averaging $6,422 a year. That adds up to $25,688 over four years for those students. The student loan default rate is 6.0%. This is significantly lower than the national default rate of 10.1%, which is a good sign that you’ll be able to pay back your student loans. Get more details about paying for Charleston Southern University.

How Much Do Charleston Southern University Graduates Earn?

$45,898 Avg Salary of Grads
Low Earnings Boost

Yearly salaries vary depending on what you major in, but on average, bachelor’s degree recipients from Charleston Southern University make around $45,898 per year during the early years of their employment. This is right on par with the average college graduate’s salary of $49,219 per year. Also, graduates in your major field may make more. Average Salary for Charleston Southern University Graduates

See which majors at Charleston Southern University make the most money.

Where Is Charleston Southern University Located?

South Carolina State
2,893 Undergraduate Students
Midsize City Campus Setting

Charleston Southern University is a private not-for-profit institution found in Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston is a great location for students who prefer city over country life. Get more details about the location of Charleston Southern University.

Location of Charleston Southern University

Contact information for Charleston Southern University can be found below.

Contact Details
Address: 9200 University Blvd, Charleston, SC 29406-9121
Phone: 8438637000
Website: www.csuniv.edu
Facebook: www.facebook.com/charlestonsouthernuniversity
Twitter: twitter.com/csuniv

What Majors Does Charleston Southern University Offer?

24 Majors With Completions
1,652 Undergraduate Degrees

In the latest year of available data, students from 24 majors graduated from Charleston Southern University. The following table lists the most popular undergraduate majors along with the average salary graduates from those majors make.

Most Popular Majors Completions Average Salary of Graduates
Multi-Disciplinary Studies 826 NA
Business Administration & Management 127 $55,643
Nursing 81 $57,826
Rehabilitation Professions 49 NA
Allied Health Professions 43 NA
Health & Physical Education 39 $25,028
General Psychology 37 $26,162
General Biology 34 $23,092
Criminal Justice & Corrections 28 $35,190
General Social Sciences 28 NA

Learn more about the majors offered at Charleston Southern University along with which ones have the highest average starting salaries.

Does Charleston Southern University Offer Online Classes?

63% Take At Least One Class Online
12% Take All Classes Online

1,816 students took at least one online class at Charleston Southern University.

Online courses are a great option for busy, working students as well as for those who have scheduling conflicts and want to study on their own time. As time goes by, expect to see more and more online learning options become available.

Learn more about online learning at Charleston Southern University.

Want to see how other colleges compare to Charleston Southern University? Pit them head to head with College Combat, our free interactive tool that lets you compare colleges on the features that matter most to you.

Notes and References

Footnotes

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

References

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