Charleston, South Carolina (SC) Colleges and Universities

The Charleston, SC, area is home to almost 20 colleges. See rankings of the best and most affordable schools in the Charleston area to determine which schools might be right for you.

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Most Program Variety

Students who aren't sure what they want to study may benefit by choosing a school that offers a variety of programs. With schools ranging from two-year technical colleges to four-year universities, Charleston-area students have a wide scope of choices. Below are the three colleges in Charleston that offer the most program variety.

1 - Trident Technical College

Trident Technical College, a two-year school in Charleston, served nearly 17,000 students in 2011. The school offers about 79 programs, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Students can pursue programs in such areas as engineering and computer technology, arts and sciences, business and health science. In 2012, 1,250 associate's degrees were awarded along with 1,279 certificates and 116 diplomas. The NCES reports that the most popular associate's degree programs in 2011-12 (based on awards conferred) were liberal arts and sciences (364 awards) and registered nursing (226 awards).

2 - College of Charleston

The College of Charleston, a four-year public school with more than 11,600 students, offers approximately 73 academic programs, according to the NCES. In its 2013 rankings, U.S. News & World Report put the College of Charleston at #11 for regional universities in the South and at #4 for public schools in the South. In 2011-12, the college conferred more than 2,100 bachelor's degrees, 225 master's degrees and 12 post-graduate certificates, based on NCES data. According to U.S. News & World Report, nearly a quarter of all students majored in business in 2011, 11% majored in social sciences and 10% studied education.

3- Charleston Southern University

With a student body of nearly 3,300, according to the NCES, Charleston Southern University has approximately 65 academic programs at two degree levels. It conferred 412 bachelor's degrees and 166 master's degrees in 2011-12. Business, management and marketing were the most popular programs, the NCES reported, followed by programs in health professions and social sciences. The university's College of Adult and Professional Studies offers several bachelor's and master's degree programs online and through blended study.

Lowest Net Price

When choosing a school, students might consider the cost of tuition and the amount of debt they can expect to accrue. The NCES figures the average net price of a college by subtracting the amount of financial aid received by the average student from the total cost of attendance, which includes tuition, fees, books, room and board. Technical colleges have the lowest costs in the Charleston area, while four-year schools are much more expensive. Costs are figured for in-state or in-district students. Here are the three schools - two technical, one a university - with the lowest net costs for schools offering traditional programs in this area, according to the NCES.

1 - Trident Technical College

Trident Technical College posted a net price of $5,247 for 2010-11. The NCES reported that 94% of all beginning students received some type of financial aid during that same year. In addition, 84% of all undergraduates received grant or scholarship aid, and 49% received federal student loans in an average amount of $6,728. In 2012-13, tuition and fees at Trident Technical College were $3,710 for in-district students, $4,114 for in-state students and $6,998 for out-of-state students, according to the NCES.

2 - Technical College of the Lowcountry

The 2010-11 net price at Technical College of the Lowcountry in Beaufort was $5,771. For the same time period, the NCES noted that 95% of first-time students received financial aid, mostly through grants and scholarships; 90% of all students benefitted from scholarships and grants. Only 15% of all students took out student loans, with an average amount of $5,719. Tuition and fees for 2012-13 were $3,772 for South Carolina residents and $8,212 for out-of-state students, according to the NCES. Technical College of the Lowcountry offers certificate and associate's degree programs to its 2,600-plus students. It also offers three free programs for military veterans and transitioning service members that help them acquire certification for their experience in logistics, airframe and powerplant applications and radiotelephone operations.

3 - The Citadel - The Military College of South Carolina

The Citadel - The Military College of South Carolina, a four-year school in Charleston with nearly 3,400 students, had a net price of $14,640 for 2010-11. At The Citadel, 85% of first-time students received some form of financial aid, while 59% of all students received grant or scholarship aid, the NCES reported. Tuition and fees at The Citadel were $10,523 for in-state students in 2012-13, according to the NCES, and $28,776 for out-of-state students. In addition to the Corps of Cadets program, this school offers four bachelor's degree programs as part of the evening undergraduate program along with several graduate degree options. In 2013, U.S. News & World Report ranked The Citadel #5 among regional universities in the South.

Highest Graduation Rate

The success rate of students in completing their programs of study is another consideration when choosing a school. The NCES figures a college's overall graduation rate by determining the percentage of students who complete their program within 150% of the 'normal' time for that program (six years for a bachelor's degree, for example). For all schools in Charleston (including for-profit schools), graduation rates range from 9% to 89%. These three four-year schools have the highest overall graduation rates among traditional schools in the Charleston area, according to the NCES.

1 - The Citadel - The Military College of South Carolina

According to the NCES, 70% of the students at The Citadel who enrolled in fall 2005 had graduated by fall 2011. About 60% of the students in that cohort earned their bachelor's degrees in four years, while 76% of the students who enrolled in fall 2003 had earned bachelor's degrees within eight years. The Citadel had a transfer-out rate of 7% for students who enrolled in fall 2005, the NCES reported. A gauge of student satisfaction, a school's retention rate is the percentage of students who start their studies in the fall and return to the school the following year. The Citadel's retention rate for fall 2010 to fall 2011 was 82% for full-time bachelor's degree students, the NCES noted.

2 - College of Charleston

The College of Charleston posed a 63% overall graduation rate in fall 2011 for students who started school in fall 2005, according to the NCES. Of those students, 52% earned bachelor's degrees within four years, while 65% of the students who began their studies in fall 2003 had earned their degrees within eight years. The College of Charleston had a 27% transfer-out rate for students who started in fall 2005. The college's retention rate for students seeking bachelor's degree was 83% for full-time students and 67% for part-time students from fall 2010 to fall 2011.

3 - Charleston Southern University

At 38%, Charleston Southern University's overall graduation rate, while third highest in the area, was far lower than the other two schools examined here. The NCES reported that 23% of the students who enrolled in fall 2005 had earned their bachelor's degrees within four years, and 35% of the students who enrolled in fall 2003 had earned their bachelor's degrees within eight years. Charleston Southern's transfer-out rate for students who started in fall 2005 was 27%. Its retention rate for full-time students pursuing bachelor's degree was 63%, according to the NCES.

Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio

A low student-faculty ratio is an important consideration for students who desire personal attention in the classroom. All schools in Charleston had student-faculty ratios of 19:1 and under. These Charleston schools have the area's lowest student-faculty ratios among schools offering traditional programs, all below 16:1.

1 - The Citadel - The Military College of South Carolina

The Citadel had a student-faculty ratio of 13:1 as of fall 2011, the NCES reported. That fall, according to the NCES, the school employed 178 full-time faculty members, all working in instruction. There were no part-time faculty members or graduate assistants. According to U.S. News & World Report, in 2013 more than 42% of the classes at The Citadel had fewer than 20 students.

2 - Charleston Southern University

The student-faculty ratio at Charleston Southern University is 16:1, the NCES noted. In fall 2011, the university had 138 full-time and 118 part-time instructional faculty members. About 55% of the classes at Charleston Southern had fewer than 20 students, U.S. News & World Report reported in 2013.

2 - College of Charleston

The College of Charleston also posted a 16:1 student-faculty ratio, according to the NCES. U.S. News & World Report indicated that in 2013 about 32% of the college's classes had fewer than 20 students. In fall 2011, according to the NCES, the college employed 521 full-time faculty members and 354 part-time, all in instruction, along with 140 instructional graduate assistants.

Charleston, SC, Schools at a Glance

School Name	Location	School Type	Degrees Offered	Area Ranking
Charleston Southern University	Charleston, SC	Four-year, private not-for-profit	Bachelor's and master's degrees	2nd Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio (tie), 3rd Most Program Variety, 3rd Highest Graduation Rate
College of Charleston	Charleston, SC	Four-year, public	Bachelor's and master's degrees; post-baccalaureate and post-master's certificates	2nd Most Program Variety, 2nd Highest Graduation Rate, 2nd Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio (tie)
Technical College of the Lowcountry	Beaufort, SC (about 49 miles from Charleston)	Two-year, public	One-year and one- to two-year certificates; associate's degrees	2nd Lowest Net Price
The Citadel - The Military College of South Carolina	Charleston, SC	Four-year, public	Bachelor's and master's degrees; post-master's certificates	Highest Graduation Rate, Lowest Student-Faculty Ratio, 3rd Lowest Net Price
Trident Technical College	Charleston, SC	Two-year, public	One-year and one- to two-year certificates; associate's degrees	Most Program Variety Lowest Net Price