Charleston Southern University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Charleston Southern University, a private college in South Carolina, reports a 96% acceptance rate and sits in the accessible band. In practice that means it admits most qualified applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Charleston Southern University weighs, where it ranks among South Carolina schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1080, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Charleston Southern University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Charleston Southern University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Charleston Southern University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Charleston Southern University?
Your odds at Charleston Southern University are not the same as its 96% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Charleston Southern University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Charleston Southern University hard to get into?
Charleston Southern University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 96% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Charleston Southern University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Charleston Southern University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Charleston Southern University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Charleston Southern University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Charleston Southern University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Charleston Southern University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1050 SAT?
About 98% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1050 SAT, the middle of Charleston Southern University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1160 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/charleston-southern-university.
How to get into Charleston Southern University
Built from Charleston Southern University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Charleston Southern University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Charleston Southern University carries about a 2.94 core GPA and a 1110 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 930 to 1160 SAT (18 to 24 ACT). Submit a score at 1045 or higher; below 930, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Charleston Southern University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Charleston Southern University's exact dates at www.charlestonsouthern.edu.
How many students apply to Charleston Southern University, and how many get in?
Charleston Southern University admitted 4,620 of the 6,072 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 76.1%. 725 enrolled. Only about 16% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Charleston Southern University enrolls about 2,893 undergraduates in total, 63% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Charleston Southern University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Charleston Southern University scored between 930 and 1160 on the SAT (average 1059). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 18 to 24. A score above 1160 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 930 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Charleston Southern University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Charleston Southern University looks for
What Charleston Southern University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Charleston Southern University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Charleston Southern University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Charleston Southern University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Charleston Southern University cost after financial aid?
Charleston Southern University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $44,558 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $32,520. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $21,666 a year, and it ranges from $20,145 for families earning under $30,000 to $23,226 for families earning over $110,000. 34% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Charleston Southern University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Charleston Southern University student who received federal aid earns $45,898 a year, up from $40,606 at six years. 47% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 63% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $26,471; 48% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Charleston Southern University compares in South Carolina
Charleston Southern University ranks #30 most selective of 32 schools in South Carolina in our database.
Among the 32 South Carolina schools we track, Charleston Southern University ranks #30 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like Clemson University (38%) and Furman University (43%) sit nearby, which makes South Carolina a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Charleston Southern University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Charleston Southern University often weigh Benedict College, Shorter University, and Upper Iowa University, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Charleston Southern University's acceptance rate?
Charleston Southern University admitted 4,620 of 6,072 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 76.1% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 16% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Charleston Southern University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 930 to 1160 on the SAT and 18 to 24 on the ACT. A score above 1160 is in the top quarter of admits. Charleston Southern University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Charleston Southern University test-optional?
Yes. Charleston Southern University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Charleston Southern University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Charleston Southern University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $21,666 a year against a sticker price of about $44,558. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $20,145 on average.
What do Charleston Southern University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Charleston Southern University are $45,898 a year among students who received federal aid, and 47% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Charleston Southern University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Charleston Southern University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Charleston Southern University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Charleston Southern University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Charleston Southern University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Charleston Southern University specifically.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.