College of Charleston

www.cofc.edu/

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2021 Undergraduate Tuition

$12,518

2021 Average Net Price

$20,255

After Financial Aid

2019 Student Loan

1.59%

Default Rate

2021 Acceptance Rate

76.1%

20,484 Applicants

2021 Enrolled Students

10,941

87.3% Full-Time

2021 Graduation Rate

67%

1,490 Graduates

About

College of Charleston is a higher education institution located in Charleston County, SC. In 2021, the most popular Bachelors Degree concentrations at College of Charleston were Speech Communication & Rhetoric (160 degrees awarded), General Business Administration & Management (158 degrees), and General Psychology (152 degrees).

In 2021, 2,417 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at College of Charleston. 67.6% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 32.4% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (1,862 degrees), 10.9 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (171 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at College of Charleston is $12,518, which is $−10,666 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs Masters Colleges and Universities

Costs

In 2021, the median undergraduate tuition at College of Charleston is $12,518, which is $−10,666 less than the national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $20,255.

In 2021, 92% of undergraduate students attending College of Charleston received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 38% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$12,518

2021 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2021, the cost of tuition at College of Charleston was $12,518. The cost of tuition at College of Charleston is $−10,666 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Masters Colleges and Universities ($23,184).

This chart compares the tuition costs of College of Charleston (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$20,255

2021 Value

0.472%

1 Year Growth

In 2021 College of Charleston had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $20,255. Between 2020 and 2021, the average net price of College of Charleston grew by 0.472%.

This chart compares the average net price of College of Charleston (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$12,650

Room and Board

$1,262

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at College of Charleston was of $12,650 in 2021. The cost of room and board increased by 6.87% between 2020 and 2021.

During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,262. The cost of books and supplies increased by 2.1% during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at College of Charleston (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

92%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

38%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

92% of undergraduate students at College of Charleston received financial aid through grants or loans in 2021. This represents a growth of 35.3% with respect to 2020, when 68% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at College of Charleston (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

1.59%

2019 Default Rate

Number of Defaults

In 2019 the default rate for borrower's at College of Charleston was 1.59%, which represents 31 out of the 1953 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

College of Charleston received 20,484 undergraduate applications in 2021, which represents a 34.6% annual growth. Out of those 20,484 applicants, 15,590 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 76.1% acceptance rate.

There were 10,941 students enrolled at College of Charleston in 2021. 24% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

College of Charleston has an overall enrollment yield of 15.9%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

76.1%

Acceptance Rate in 2021

15,590

Accepted Out of 20,484

In 2021, the undergraduate acceptance rate of College of Charleston was 76.1% (15,590 admissions from 20,484 applications). This is higher than the acceptance rate of 2020, which was 74.3%. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of applicants grew by 34.6%, while admissions grew by 37.9%..

This chart compares the acceptance rate of College of Charleston (in red) with that of other similar universities, and the chart below shows the acceptance rate by gender.

SAT Scores

24%

Submission Percentage (2021)

583

Scores Submitted (2021)

24% of enrolled first-time students at College of Charleston in 2021 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

College of Charleston had a total enrollment of 10,941 students in 2021. The full-time enrollment at College of Charleston is 9,549 students and the part-time enrollment is 1,392. This means that 87.3% of students enrolled at College of Charleston are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at College of Charleston, both undergraduate and graduate, is 78.7% White, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.54% Black or African American, 3.44% Two or More Races, 1.94% Asian, 0.165% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0548% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at College of Charleston in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (52.9%), followed by White Male (26%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (4.73%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (57.1%), followed by White Male (22.3%) and Black or African American Female (3.76%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

87.3%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at College of Charleston in 2021, both undergraduate and graduate, is 10,941 students. The full-time enrollment at College of Charleston is 9,549 and the part-time enrollment is 1,392. This means that 87.3% of students enrolled at College of Charleston are enrolled full-time compared with 68.3% at similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at College of Charleston (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

83%

2021 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at College of Charleston was 83%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Masters Colleges and Universities (73%), College of Charleston had a retention rate higher than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at College of Charleston (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
8,610 enrolled students
Hispanic or Latino
744 enrolled students
Black or African American
716 enrolled students

The enrolled student population at College of Charleston is 78.7% White, 6.8% Hispanic or Latino, 6.54% Black or African American, 3.44% Two or More Races, 1.94% Asian, 0.165% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.0548% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Masters Colleges and Universities is 52% White, 16.9% Hispanic or Latino, and 12.8% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 133 students (1.22%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2021, 849 more women than men received degrees from College of Charleston. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at College of Charleston is white (1,862 degrees awarded). There were 10.9 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (171 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at College of Charleston is Speech Communication & Rhetoric (160 degrees awarded), followed by General Business Administration & Management (158 degrees) and General Psychology (152 degrees).

In 2021, the most specialized majors across all degree types at College of Charleston, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Language & Linguistics (68 degrees awarded), Communications (163 degrees), and Biology (235 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Physicians

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at College of Charleston are Physicians (399,967 people), Other managers (260,630 people), Elementary & middle school teachers (219,587 people), Postsecondary teachers (195,695 people), and Lawyers, & judges, magistrates, & other judicial workers (185,077 people).

The most specialized majors at College of Charleston in 2021 are Language & Linguistics (68 degrees awarded), Communications (163 degrees), Biology (235 degrees), Cultural & Gender Studies (19 degrees), and History (37 degrees) (as of 2021).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at College of Charleston are Surgeons, Media and communication workers, all other, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Nuclear medicine technologists and medical dosimetrists, and Diagnostic medical sonographers

The most specialized majors at College of Charleston are Language & Linguistics (68 degrees awarded), Communications (163 degrees), Biology (235 degrees), Cultural & Gender Studies (19 degrees), and History (37 degrees) (as of 2021).

Common Industries by Major

General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at College of Charleston are General medical and surgical hospitals, and specialty (except psychiatric and substance abuse) hospitals (524,094 people), Elementary & secondary schools (507,318 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (482,013 people), Offices of physicians (203,594 people), and Computer Systems Design (181,295 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by College of Charleston.

Most Common (2021)

Speech Communication & Rhetoric
160 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
158 degrees awarded
General Psychology
152 degrees awarded

In 2021, the most common bachelors degree concentration at College of Charleston was Speech Communication & Rhetoric with 160 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at College of Charleston according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

784

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2021

1,633

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2021

In 2021, 784 degrees were awarded to men at College of Charleston, which is 0.48 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,633).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at College of Charleston by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2021, 118 degrees were awarded to men at College of Charleston in General Business Administration & Management, which is 1.39 times more than the 85 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2021, 135 degrees were awarded to men at College of Charleston in General Psychology, which is 7.94 times more than the 17 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

57%

100% Completion Time

66%

150% Completion Time

In 2021, 57% of students graduating from College of Charleston completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 66% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 66% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Masters Colleges and Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

American Indian or Alaska Native Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2021 at College of Charleston is Female and American Indian or Alaska Native (100% graduation rate). Across all Masters Colleges and Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.9%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 0.268% of graduates (4 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity (2021)

White
1,862 degrees awarded
Black or African American
171 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
168 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at College of Charleston is white (1,862 degrees awarded). There were 10.9 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, black or african american (171 degrees).

1.49% of degree recipients (36 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic (2021)

White Female
1,261 degrees awarded
White Male
601 degrees awarded
Black or African American Female
123 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at College of Charleston is white female (1,261 degrees awarded). There were 2.1 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (601 degrees).

Operations

College of Charleston has an endowment valued at nearly $136M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 43.3k (0.0319%) compared to the 13.1% average return (6.61M on 50.4M) across all Masters Colleges and Universities.

In 2021, College of Charleston had a total salary expenditure of 280M. College of Charleston employs 188 Associate professors, 148 Professors and 115 Assistant professors. Most academics at College of Charleston are Male Associate professor (96), Male Professor (94), and Female Associate professor (92).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at College of Charleston are: Office and Administrative Support, with 244 employees, Management, with 184 employees, and Business and Financial Operations with 101 employees.

Endowment

$136M

2021 Endowment

32.1%

growth from 2020

College of Charleston has an endowment valued at about $136M, as of the end of the 2021 fiscal year. The endowment of College of Charleston grew 32.1% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $85.6M higher than than the median endowment of Masters Colleges and Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at College of Charleston (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$5.93M - Federal
$21.7M - State
$45k - Local

As of 2021, College of Charleston received $5.93M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $21.7M from state grants and contracts, and $45k from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$102M

2021 Salaries

4.57%

decline from 2020

In 2021, College of Charleston paid a median of $102M in salaries, which represents 36.4% of their overall expenditure ($280M) and a 4.57% decline from the previous year.

The median for similar Masters Colleges and Universities is 35.1M (41.3% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$41.9M

Instructional Salaries

509

Number of Employees

In 2021, College of Charleston paid a total of $41.9M to 509 employees working as instructors, which represents 41.2% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $11M (31.3%) for similar Masters Colleges and Universities.

Occupations by Share

Associate professor

Most Common Instructor

188 Employees

Office and Administrative Support

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

244 Employees

In 2021, the most common positions for instructional staff at College of Charleston were Associate professor with 188 employees, Professor with 148 employees, and Assistant professor with 115 employees.

In 2021, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at College of Charleston were Office and Administrative Support with 244 employees, Management with 184 employees, and Business and Financial Operations with 101 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic (2021)

Male Associate professor
Male Professor
Female Associate professor

In 2021, the most common demographic for instructional staff at College of Charleston was Male Associate professor with 96 employees, Male Professor with 94 employees, and Female Associate professor with 92 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at College of Charleston.