College of Charleston
Charleston, SC66 George St, Charleston, SC 29424-0001
843-953-5500
The College of Charleston is a public liberal arts and sciences university located in historic downtown Charleston, South Carolina, United States. The College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award baccalaureate and master's degrees. Founded in 1770, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in South Carolina, the 13th oldest in the United States, and the oldest municipal college in the country. The school's founders intended for the college to "instruct youth not only in the languages, arts and sciences, but in the principles of virtue and piety." By 1773, the college had moved to its current location on Queen Street and began offering courses in rhetoric, philosophy, and divinity. The college was forced to close its doors during the American Civil War, but reopened in 1866. The college's main building was destroyed by fire in December of 1861, but classes continued in "temporary quarters." In the late 1860s, the college experienced rapid growth and soon outgrew its temporary quarters. A new main building, designed by Edward C. Jones, was completed in 1871. The college granted its first degrees in 1873.
The College of Charleston is home to many notable alumni, including nine Rhodes Scholars, two Pulitzer Prize winners, and a Nobel Laureate. The college has produced three governors of South Carolina, including the current governor, Nikki Haley. The college is also home to the Citadel, a military college. The college's sports teams compete in the NCAA Division I. The college's official colors are garnet and white.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 10384
Acceptance Rate: 74.32%
Type: Public, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.cofc.edu/
Financial Aid: https://finaid.cofc.edu/
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $31153
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $51483
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at College of Charleston is $121630.25. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at College of Charleston. For graduates of College of Charleston, we saw an average early-career income of $52300.00 and mid-career income of $90600.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.