College of Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina · Public · 10,558 undergraduates · charleston.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
73%
of 32,326 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1160 to 1300
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$36,950Est.Estimate
$64,750 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at College of Charleston
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
73% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$64,750
a year in 2027-28, from a $64,750 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1220
Send your score
About 74% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1110, and yours is above it.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- You can type your scores into the application; official reports come later.
Source: College of Charleston | First-Year · Checked October 17, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov2Early Action · November 2, 2026Apply early and hear early. Not binding.
- Nov2Early Decision · November 2, 2026Binding: if admitted, you commit to enroll.
- Jan15Early Decision II · January 15, 2027A second binding round, after Early Decision.
- Jan15Regular Decision · January 15, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
73%
of applicants were admitted: 23,597 of 32,326 for fall 2025.
Early Action
Not binding. Apply by 11/1, hear by 12/15.
Early Decision
Binding. 72% of early applicants were admitted.
Wait list
2,819 students were offered a spot; 521 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 19% of them sent SAT scores and 9% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1160 to 1300
Reading and Writing 590 to 680
Math 550 to 640
ACT composite 23 to 29
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 16007.9%
- 1200 to 139956%
- 1000 to 119934%
- 800 to 9992.3%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.96
- 4.045%
- 3.75 to 3.9917%
- 3.50 to 3.7417%
- 3.25 to 3.4911%
- 3.00 to 3.247%
- 2.50 to 2.993%
- Below 2.500.1%
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$36,950
a year, in state
$64,750
a year, out of state (tuition $40,680)
- Tuition (in state)$12,880
- Fees$590
- Food and housing$16,570
- Books and supplies$1,640
- Transportation and other$5,270
College of Charleston published $35,905 in state for 2026-27. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$14,245
- $30,001 to $48,000$13,240
- $48,001 to $75,000$14,854
- $75,001 to $110,000$18,141
- Over $110,000$25,459
Financial aid
51%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$15,405
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
46%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $6,448 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
- Aid priority date: 2/1
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
National Merit Scholarship (College of Charleston)
$2,000 a year
National Merit
Deadline: Name this college your first choice with NMSC. To keep it: it renews, but the college shares the renewal rules only with current students through its student portal.
Details
South Carolina programs for residents
Palmetto Fellows Scholarship
$6,700 to $7,500 a year
State program · In-state students
- 4.00+ GPA, 1400+ SAT or 31+ ACT, Alternative pathway (no rank; early or late award); for schools that do not rank or students qualifying without regard to rank; CHE application
- 3.50+ GPA, 1200+ SAT or 25+ ACT, Rank pathway (early or late award); top 6% of class (end of grade 10 or 11 for early award; 10, 11 or 12 for late); school must rank per CHE-reviewed policy; CHE application, top 6% of class
LIFE Scholarship
$5,000 a year
State program · In-state students
- 3.00+ GPA, 1100+ SAT or 22+ ACT, Four-year institution: 2 of 3 criteria; top 30% of graduating class (third criterion; school must have approved official rank policy), top 30% of class
- 3.00+ GPA, 1100+ SAT or 22+ ACT, Four-year institution: graduate of non-ranking school (GPA and test); graduate of non-ranking SC high school, non-ranking SC approved home school association, or out-of-state preparatory high school
LIFE Scholarship Enhancement
$2,500 a year
State program · In-state students
- 1100+ SAT or 22+ ACT, Add-on for LIFE recipients in STEM, education or accounting majors; must be receiving LIFE; second year or later at eligible 4-year SC institution; CHE-approved STEM, education or accounting major; STEM/accounting need 14 approved math/science hours before Year 2; education majors sign SC teaching-service agreement
Palmetto Fellows Scholarship Enhancement
$2,500 a year
State program · In-state students
- 1200+ SAT or 25+ ACT, Add-on for Palmetto Fellows in STEM, education or accounting majors; must be receiving Palmetto Fellows; second year or later at eligible 4-year SC institution; CHE-approved STEM, education or accounting major; STEM/accounting need 14 approved math/science hours before Year 2; education majors sign SC teaching-service agreement
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
41 of 41
Earn credit with a score of 3
41 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $1,290Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ARTS 1EE |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | ARTS 1EE |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 | AAST 200 |
| Art History | 3 | 3 | ARTH 101 |
| Art History | 4 | 6 | ARTH 101 & ARTH 102 |
| Biology | 3 | 4 | BIOL 111/ BIOL 111L |
| Biology | 4 | 8 | BIOL 111/BIOL 111L & BIOL 112/BIOL 112L |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 4 | MATH 120 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 | MATH 120 & MATH 220 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 3 | 4 | MATH 120 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 4 | CHEM 111/CHEM 111L |
| Chemistry | 4 | 8 | CHEM 111/CHEM 111L & CHEM 112/CHEM 112L |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | CHNS 101 & CHNS 102 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 8 | CHNS 201 & CHNS 202 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 6 | CHNS 313 & CHNS 314 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLI 240 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 4 | CSCI 220/CSCI 220L |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | CSCI 2MM |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 | ARTS 1EE |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENGL 1EE |
| English Language and Composition | 4 | 3 | ENGL 101 |
| English Language and Composition | 5 | 6 | ENGL 101 & ENGL 102 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENGL 1EE |
| English Literature and Composition | 4 | 3 | ENGL 190 |
| English Literature and Composition | 5 | 6 | ENGL 190 & ENGL 290 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | ENVT 200 |
| European History | 3 | 3 | HIST 102 |
| European History | 4 | 6 | HIST 101 & HIST 102 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | FREN 201 & FREN 202 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | FREN 202 & FREN 390 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | GRMN 201 & GRMN 202 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | GRMN 202 & GRMN 390 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEOG 101 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | ITAL 201 & ITAL 202 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | ITAL 202 & ITAL 390 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | JPNS 201 & JPNS 202 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | JPNS 313 & JPNS 314 |
| Latin | 3 | 6 | LATN 201 & LATN 202 |
| Latin | 4 | 6 | LATN 202 & LATN 390 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 201 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 200 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 | MUSC 146 |
| Music Theory | 4 | 1 | MUSC 238 |
| Music Theory | 4 | 3 | MUSC 147 |
| Music Theory | 5 | 3 | MUSC 246 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 4 | PHYS 101 & PHYS 101L |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 4 | PHYS 102 & PHYS 102L |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 4 | PHYS 1EE |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 4 | PHYS 111 & PHYS 111L |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 4 | MATH 111 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSYC 103 |
| Research | 3 | 3 | ENGL 1EE |
| Research | 4 | 3 | ENGL 101 |
| Research | 5 | 6 | ENGL 101 & ENGL 102 |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | ENGL 1EE |
| Seminar | 4 | 3 | ENGL 101 |
| Seminar | 5 | 6 | ENGL 101 & ENGL 102 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | SPAN 201 & SPAN 202 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 6 | SPAN 202 & SPAN 390 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 6 | SPAN 202 & SPAN 390 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 5 | 6 | SPAN 320 & SPAN 390 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | MATH 250 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POLI 101 |
| United States History | 3 | 3 | HIST 201 |
| United States History | 4 | 6 | HIST 201 & HIST 202 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 3 | HIST 104 |
| World History: Modern | 4 | 6 | HIST 103 & HIST 104 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
65%
Come back for a second year
82%
Typical earnings
$63,018
a year, 10 years after starting here
- College of Charleston$73,365
- All colleges$71,390
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 31 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with College of Charleston. The College of Charleston logo is a trademark of the college.