ic S/general/checkmark circled Thanks for subscribing! Be on the lookout for our next newsletter.
ic S/general/checkmark circled
Saved to My Favorites. View My Favorites
Colleges / College of Charleston

College of Charleston

Charleston, SC 4-Year Public
Acceptance Rate76%
Acceptance Rate76%

College of Charleston Admissions

If you want to apply to College of Charleston, the regular decision application deadline is January 15 and the fee for the application costs $60.

Students who submit their applications to College of Charleston for fall semester should receive an admissions decision no later than March 1.

College of Charleston Admissions Stats at a Glance

The following is an overiew of some of College of Charleston's admissions stats.

College of Charleston 2022 Admissions Statistics
Mean Unweighted GPA 3.9
Admitted Students in Top 10% of Graduating Class 14.7%
Mean SAT Score 1188
Admissions Test Policy Test Optional
Applicants Who Submit SATs 24%
Applicants Who Submit ACTs 16%
Waitlist Yes

College of Charleston Application Deadlines

These are the application deadlines for College of Charleston.

Application Type Offered Application Deadline Notification Deadline
Early Decision I Yes October 15 December 1
Early Decision II –– –– ––
Early Action Yes November 1 December 15
Regular Decision Yes January 1 March 1

Want to Apply Early to College of Charleston?


College of Charleston offers early decision and also offers early action. Early decision is binding, which means you must attend if you are admitted, while early action allows you to apply early without committing.

🗓️ Early Decision I applications are due by October 15 EDI applicants should receive a decision by December 1.

🗓️ The Early Action deadline is November 1. College of Charleston will release EA admissions decisions no later than December 15.

The early decision acceptance rate at College of Charleston is 81%, compared to an overall acceptance rate of 76%.

College of Charleston accepts approximately 86% of early action applicants and 76% all applicants for all deadlines. Last year, College of Charleston admitted 194 of the 240 students who applied early decision. Last year, College of Charleston admitted 1,287 of the 11,954 who applied early action.

Some students apply early to increase their chances of acceptance. When you apply early, your application is considered before all the regular decision applicants apply. Applying early may increase the chance of acceptance, since it shows that you are very interested in a school.

➡️ Explore a list of some competetive colleges that accept significantly more applicants during early decision or early action than during regular admission.


More on College of Charleston Admissions


For applicants who are not residents of South Carolina, getting into College of Charleston is moderately difficult.

Transferring to College of Charleston

Transfer student admissions is moderately difficult.

For Students Waitlisted to College of Charleston

In 2022, College of Charleston waitlisted 1,306 students and 457 accepted a place on the waitlist. Of those, 87 eventually were offered a spot.

What Does College of Charleston Look For in an Applicant?

Colleges consider a range of factors when choosing who to admit for their next incoming class. Each college has a different way of determining which factors are given the most weight when choose which applicants to admit, and which to deny. When creating your list of schools to apply to, you may want to consider your strengths and any possible weaknesses in your application, and apply to colleges that prioritize the areas where you stand out.

Admissions Factors at College of Charleston

Wondering what factors are considered by College of Charleston during the admissions process? Take a look at the list below to see which factors are most important during the admissions process.

Admissions Factor Level
Academic GPA Very Important
Rigor of Secondary School Record Very Important
Geographical Residence Important
Class Rank Important
First Generation Important
State Residency Important
Alumni/ae Relations Considered
Character/Personal Qualities Considered
Work Experience Considered
Extracurricular Activities Considered
Level of Applicant's Interest Considered
Application Essay Considered
Racial/Ethnic Status Considered
Talent/Ability Considered
Standardized Test Scores Considered
Volunteer Work Considered

Make sure to check with College of Charleston for more information on admission factors.

College of Charleston Application Requirements

To apply to College of Charleston, all applicants must submit the following items. Check in with College of Charleston's admissions department to confirm all application materials and requirements.

Area Required Recommended Required for Some Details (If Any)
Written Essay or Personal Statement
Interview
Transcript(S) of College Record
Standardized Test Scores
Statement of Good Standing From Prior Institution(S)
Transcript of High School Record

GPA and Testing


What GPA Do I Need To Get Into College of Charleston?

Students admitted to College of Charleston have an average unweighted GPA of 3.9. College of Charleston considers weighted GPA scores from incomging students.

Out of all students that were admitted, 60.1% submitted a class rank. At College of Charleston 14.7% of students ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class in high school, 42.8% were in the top 25% and 81.6% were in the top 50%.

GPAs of Admitted Students

At College of Charleston, student GPAs fall in the following ranges.

GPA Percent of Students
4.0 GPA 47%
3.75 and 3.99 17.5%
3.50 and 3.74 12%
3.25 and 3.49 10%
3.00 and 3.24 7%
2.50 and 2.9 5.5%
2.00 and 2.49 1%

This chart depicts the percentage of all enrolled, degree-seeking, first-time, first year (freshmen) students who had high school grade point average within the given ranges.

Note: Some schools choose not release this information. If you have any questions regarding missing numbers, be sure to reach out to College of Charleston directly.

About GPAs

Your high school grade point average (GPA) is a number that highlights your high school academic performance. A weighted GPA or an unweighted GPA are the two possible GPA scores considered by colleges.

An unweighted GPA is an average of your scores from each class on a four-point scale. Unweighted GPAs range from 4.0 to under 1.0. A weighted GPA considers your average grade and the difficulty of your classes. A weighted GPA boosts your average by adding extra points for honors or Advanced Placement courses.

Standardized Test Scores

College of Charleston considers ACT or SAT scores as part of the admissions process.

College of Charleston is a test optional school. Test optional schools allow students to choose if they want to submit ACT or SAT scores with their applications or not.

In 2022, 24% of College of Charleston's first-year students submitted their SAT scores with their application. 16% of admitted applicants sent ACT scores.

What is a Good SAT Score for College of Charleston?

To be competitive with other College of Charleston applicants, you should strive to earn between 1110 and 1260 (or higher!) on the SAT. At College of Charleston 25% of admitted students scored higher than 1260 and 25% of scored lower than 1110, but the majority of students scored somewhere in between these two numbers.The mean composite SAT score for a College of Charleston student is 1188.

On the SAT Math Section, 25% of College of Charleston students scored 620 or higher and 75% of students scored 560 or higher. On the SAT Critical Reading section (formerly called the Verbal section), 25% of College of Charleston students scored 660 or higher, and 75% scored a 560 or higher.

What is a Good ACT Score for College of Charleston?

To be most competitive at College of Charleston, you should strive to earn between 23 and 29 on the ACT.

An ACT score of 29 means you fall in the 75th percentile for College of Charleston's admitted students. One out of every four students scored above a 29, and three out of four students scored lower than 29 on the ACT.

A 23 on the ACT is the 25th percentile for College of Charleston students. Only one out of every four students scored below 23.

Want To Bring Up Your ACT Score? Access ACT practice tests and study tips and see upcoming ACT test dates.

More Information on Transferring to College of Charleston

For transfer students, it is moderately difficult to get admitted to College of Charleston.

For transfer students wishing to start in the fall, the deadline to apply is June 1.

Transfer students can enroll in College of Charleston during the following terms:

• Fall Term

• Spring Term


College of Charleston Admissions FAQs


Can I defer my acceptance to College of Charleston?

✅ Yes, admitted students can defer their admission to College of Charleston.

Does College of Charleston accept transfer credits?

✅ College of Charleston accepts eligible transfer credits from accredited institutions. College of Charleston accepts:

• CLEP subject tests • DSST/DANTES

Does College of Charleston accept Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) credits?

✅ College of Charleston accepts International Baccalaureate credits (IB) credits and Advanced Placement (AP) credits.

Do I have to submit test scores to College of Charleston?

❌ No, College of Charleston is test optional, so you can make the call if you want to to send your ACT or SAT scores. If you have higher than average scores, you may want to send them. If your scores are average or below average, you may want not want to include them in your application.

What is College of Charleston's acceptance rate?

✅ College of Charleston has an acceptance rate of 76%.

What is the early decision acceptance rate at College of Charleston?

✅ College of Charleston's early decision acceptance rate was 81% in 2021.

What is the early action acceptance rate at College of Charleston?

✅ The early action acceptance rate at College of Charleston was 86% in 2021.

Want To Learn More About College of Charleston?

To learn more about College of Charleston, choose from the options below:

Overview

Student Life

Academics

Tuition & Aid

Connect with other students, parents, and admissions professionals to learn more about about College of Charleston in the College Confidential forums

Explore other colleges in South Carolina or use the college admissions predictor to calculate your chances of getting into some of the top colleges and universities in the U.S.

College of Charleston Admissions Requirements

Admission Difficulty

Somewhat Selective

76%

How hard is it to get into College of Charleston? College of Charleston is a somewhat selective institution. The College of Charleston acceptance rate is 76%. This means that the institution accepts 76 out of every 100 applicants.

--

College of Charleston Application Deadline

First-Year Applications are Due

Jan 15

Transfer Applications are Due

Jun 1

The deadline for Fall first-year applications to College of Charleston is Jan 15.

The deadline for Fall transfer applications to College of Charleston is Jun 1.

Check the school website for more information about deadlines for specific programs or special admissions programs

College of Charleston SAT Scores

ic_reflect

Composite SAT Range

1110 - 1260

ic_reflect

Math SAT Range

530 - 620

ic_reflect

Reading SAT Range

560 - 660

Estimated Chance of Acceptance by SAT Score

SAT Score

Estimated Chance

1260 and Above

Good

1110 to 1260

Avg

1110 and Less

Low

SAT Scores Needed to Get Accepted

The median SAT score for College of Charleston students is 1188. Applicants with SAT scores of 1260 and above have a good chance of being admitted to College of Charleston, while applicants with SAT scores between 1110 to 1260 have an average chance of admittance, and prospective students with an SAT score below 1110 have a low chance of being offered a spot at College of Charleston.

College of Charleston GPA

Avg. High School GPA (non-weighted)

3.94

GPA Needed to Get Accepted

At College of Charleston, the average unweighted high-school GPA for admitted students is 3.94. This is the average, which means that some applicants submit GPAs lower than this and some applicants submit GPAs above this level. If your GPA falls below the average, strong test scores or other qualifications may help you make you a more competitive applicant.

Data Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved

Quick Facts

Total Enrollment

10,941

Campus Setting

Urban

Acceptance Rate

76%

Tuition and Fees

In State

$12,978

Out-of-State

$35,798

Fall Freshmen
Application Deadline

Jan 15
Do You Work at a University?

Claim your page to customize your profile and connect with students!

Claim Free Account
F43DB07C-E631-43A5-9C99-000231808F35
Scholarship Tips

Want to find money for school that doesn’t need to be paid back? Access insights and advice on how to search and apply for scholarships!

Find Scholarships
ECE68226-946A-49FB-9EBE-25C918B98643
Need Advice or Have a Question About College of Charleston?

Connect with the world's largest college forum for candid, authentic discussion.

Join the Conversation