Coastal Carolina University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Coastal Carolina University, a public university in South Carolina, reports a 75% acceptance rate and sits in the moderately selective band. In practice that means it admits more applicants than it rejects, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Coastal Carolina 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 1200, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Coastal Carolina University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Coastal Carolina University?
Your odds at Coastal Carolina University are not the same as its 75% 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 Coastal Carolina University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Coastal Carolina University hard to get into?
Coastal Carolina University is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 75% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Coastal Carolina University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Coastal Carolina University, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. Coastal Carolina University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Coastal Carolina University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1140 SAT?
About 93% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1140 SAT, the middle of Coastal Carolina University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1220 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/coastal-carolina-university.
How to get into Coastal Carolina University
Built from Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina University carries about a 3.18 core GPA and a 1170 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1050 to 1220 SAT (21 to 26 ACT). Submit a score at 1135 or higher; below 1050, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Coastal Carolina 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.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Coastal Carolina University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.coastal.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Coastal Carolina University, and how many get in?
Coastal Carolina University admitted 14,613 of the 18,223 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 80.2%. 2,775 enrolled. Only about 19% 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. Coastal Carolina University enrolls about 10,377 undergraduates in total, 56% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 17 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Coastal Carolina University?
Admitted students at Coastal Carolina University post SAT scores of 1050 to 1220 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1143. On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 21 to 26. A score above 1220 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1050 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina University looks for
What Coastal Carolina University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Coastal Carolina University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $26,692 a year. Tuition and fees are $11,640 for SC residents and $29,628 for out-of-state students, a $17,988 gap that makes residency the single biggest lever on cost. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $13,966 a year, and it ranges from $9,563 for families earning under $30,000 to $20,219 for families earning over $110,000. 26% 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 Coastal Carolina University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Coastal Carolina University students ten years after entry are $47,258 ($38,070 at the six-year mark). 48% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 77% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $23,750; 57% 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 Coastal Carolina University compares in South Carolina
Coastal Carolina University ranks #18 most selective of 32 schools in South Carolina in our database.
Among the 32 South Carolina schools we track, Coastal Carolina University ranks #18 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. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Coastal Carolina University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Coastal Carolina University often weigh Miami University (Ohio), Oklahoma State University, and Alaska Fairbanks, 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 Coastal Carolina University's acceptance rate?
Coastal Carolina University admitted 14,613 of 18,223 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 80.2% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 19% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Coastal Carolina University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1050 to 1220 on the SAT and 21 to 26 on the ACT. A score above 1220 is in the top quarter of admits. Coastal Carolina University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Coastal Carolina University test-optional?
Yes. Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Coastal Carolina University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $13,966 a year against a sticker price of about $26,692. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $9,563 on average.
What do Coastal Carolina University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Coastal Carolina University are $47,258 a year among students who received federal aid, and 48% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Coastal Carolina University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Coastal Carolina University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Coastal Carolina University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Coastal Carolina University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Coastal Carolina 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 Coastal Carolina University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Coastal Carolina University?
Coastal Carolina University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
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.