College of Charleston acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
With an acceptance rate near 60%, College of Charleston is a moderately selective public university in South Carolina. Because it admits more applicants than it rejects, admission turns on the strength of your whole profile rather than any one number.
Use this page to see what College of Charleston 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 1300, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at College of Charleston?
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 College of Charleston?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into College of Charleston, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into College of Charleston?
College of Charleston admits most qualified applicants (around 60%), but that overall rate is not your personal chance. 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 College of Charleston in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is College of Charleston hard to get into?
College of Charleston is moderately selective: it admits more applicants than it rejects, with about a 60% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into College of Charleston?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at College of Charleston, but admitted students often present roughly a 3.2 to 3.7 GPA. College of Charleston reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at College of Charleston by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at College of Charleston 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 College of Charleston with a 3.1 GPA and a 1230 SAT?
About 70% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1230 SAT, the middle of College of Charleston's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1310 SAT comes out near 90%. 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/college-of-charleston.
How to get into College of Charleston
Built from College of Charleston's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Here is how to get into College of Charleston, built from what its admitted class actually looks like and what the school says it weighs.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at College of Charleston carries about a 3.34 core GPA and a 1260 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1140 to 1310 SAT (25 to 30 ACT). Submit a score at 1225 or higher; below 1140, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
College of Charleston 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 College of Charleston's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.cofc.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to College of Charleston, and how many get in?
For the fall 2023 entering class, College of Charleston received 26,683 applications and admitted 19,212, an acceptance rate of 72%. 2,637 enrolled. Only about 14% 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. College of Charleston enrolls about 10,558 undergraduates in total, 68% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 16 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for College of Charleston?
The middle 50% of admitted students at College of Charleston scored between 1140 and 1310 on the SAT (average 1247). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 25 to 30. A score above 1310 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1140 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. College of Charleston 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 College of Charleston looks for
What College of Charleston weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
In its review, College of Charleston leans most on 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 College of Charleston'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 College of Charleston
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 College of Charleston cost after financial aid?
College of Charleston's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $32,362 per year. Tuition and fees are $12,978 for SC residents and $38,296 for out-of-state students, a $25,318 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 $18,960 a year, and it ranges from $12,133 for families earning under $30,000 to $24,996 for families earning over $110,000. 19% 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 College of Charleston graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median College of Charleston student who received federal aid earns $56,416 a year, up from $43,821 at six years. 66% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $23,250; 38% 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 College of Charleston compares in South Carolina
College of Charleston ranks #8 most selective of 32 schools in South Carolina in our database.
Among the 32 South Carolina schools we track, College of Charleston ranks #8 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 College of Charleston
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Build around College of Charleston with peers at a comparable selectivity, such as University of Akron, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and University of South Carolina. 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 College of Charleston's acceptance rate?
College of Charleston admitted 19,212 of 26,683 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 72% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 14% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for College of Charleston?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1140 to 1310 on the SAT and 25 to 30 on the ACT. A score above 1310 is in the top quarter of admits. College of Charleston is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is College of Charleston test-optional?
Yes. College of Charleston 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 College of Charleston cost after financial aid?
The average net price at College of Charleston, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $18,960 a year against a sticker price of about $32,362. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $12,133 on average.
What do College of Charleston graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering College of Charleston are $56,416 a year among students who received federal aid, and 66% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does College of Charleston value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, College of Charleston weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does College of Charleston favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, College of Charleston 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 College of Charleston?
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 College of Charleston specifically.
How does residency affect admission to College of Charleston?
As a public university, College of Charleston typically admits in-state students at a higher rate, and tuition differs sharply by residency. Select your home state in the calculator to fold the in-state effect into your estimate.
What are the admission requirements for College of Charleston?
College of Charleston 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.