Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Charleston, SC 29409
About Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public research university in Charleston, South Carolina, serving roughly 2,705 students. Admission is selective for first-time degree-seeking undergraduates reporting admissions data to the Education Department. The acceptance rate is about 22.72% in the latest College Scorecard admissions data. Median earnings about ten years after entry reach about $72,085 among students who received federal aid.
Key findings
- Citadel Military College of South Carolina charges about 2.3× the national public median tuition ($12,570).
- Versus the South Carolina median, sticker tuition is 3% below.
- Completion within 150% of normal time is 75.00%.
- Median earnings 10 years after entry are $72,085.
Research findings
Finding
Modeled return on investment at Citadel Military College of South Carolina is strong.
Estimated ROI reaches about 770% using Scorecard cost and 10-year earnings fields in this extract.
Interpretation: On this institution-wide model, typical graduate earnings over a decade substantially exceed estimated net education cost.
Limitation: ROI is institution-wide and not program-specific; individual outcomes vary by major, aid package, and labor market.
Cost benchmarks
| Benchmark | Median Tuition | Median Net Price | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | $12,570 | $20,723 | 1 |
| Public (national median) | $5,512 | — | 1,688 |
| South Carolina (state median) | $12,978 | $11,376 | 63 |
| Suburban (locale median) | $13,135 | $18,048 | 684 |
| United States (national median) | $11,900 | $17,156 | — |
Compares this campus to school-type, state, and locale medians plus a U.S. national median (College Scorecard–derived). Locale groups campuses by NCES locale type; state tuition is the median published tuition among campuses in that state.
How expensive is Citadel Military College of South Carolina really?
Key findings
- Citadel Military College of South Carolina charges about 2.3× the national public median tuition ($12,570).
- Versus the South Carolina median, sticker tuition is 3% below.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina tuition
Published undergraduate tuition $12,570
Finding Citadel Military College of South Carolina charges about 2.3× the national public median tuition.
Evidence Published tuition is $12,570. That is about 2.3× the national public median ($5,512). Versus the South Carolina median ($12,978), sticker tuition is 3% below. Versus the U.S. median ($11,900), sticker is 6% above.
Method Sticker tuition compared with Scorecard-derived medians by ownership, state, locale, and national rollups when available.
Interpretation Published tuition measures sticker price relative to public and geographic peers; it does not equal what undergraduates typically pay after aid.
Limitation Sticker comparisons omit room, board, and institutional aid; average net price and income-band net prices are the stronger signals of typical family cost.
Evidence: published tuition at Citadel Military College of South Carolina versus school-type, state, locale, and U.S. medians.
Evidence: average net price at Citadel Military College of South Carolina versus state, locale, and U.S. medians.
What undergraduates typically pay
Finding Average net price at Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $20,723.
Evidence College Scorecard average net price is $20,723 (cost of attendance minus average grant aid for aided undergraduates). That is about $9,347 above the South Carolina median net price. Versus suburban campuses, net price runs $2,675 above the locale median.
Method Average net price from College Scorecard; compared with state, locale, and U.S. medians from EDsmart aggregates.
Interpretation Average net price is a stronger institutional cost signal than published tuition because it incorporates grant aid.
Limitation The campus average masks large differences by household income; income-band net prices can diverge sharply from the overall average.
Key takeaway At Citadel Military College of South Carolina, average net price exceeds published tuition alone because net price uses a fuller cost-of-attendance base.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina: research record
Canonical EDsmart Data findings for Citadel Military College of South Carolina—costs, outcomes, admissions, and programs—with evidence and methodology notes.
Research findings
Interpretation
The combination of completion and 10-year earnings is a multidimensional outcomes signal; it does not measure educational quality by itself.
Financial profile
In-state tuition
$12,570
Out-of-state tuition
$38,508
Avg. net price
$20,723
Net price by family income
| Income bracket | Avg. annual net price |
|---|---|
| $0–$30,000 | $15,430 |
| $30,001–$48,000 | $16,456 |
| $48,001–$75,000 | $18,140 |
| $75,001–$110,000 | $20,620 |
| $110,001+ | $24,047 |
Sticker tuition × four years (estimate, no room/board): $50,280. See cost investigation.
Student outcomes
Share of first-year students returning the following fall.
Graduation rate and 10-year earnings are in the hero strip above; see Graduates for more.
What Citadel Military College of South Carolina is known for
Top program completions
- Business/Commerce, General183
- Intelligence, General118
- Mechanical Engineering69
- Psychology, General48
- Civil Engineering, General47
See earnings & programs for more.
Admissions landscape
- Highly selective — fewer than 3 in 10 applicants are admitted.
- Yield: 23% of admitted students enrolled.
- Average SAT: 1208
See Admissions for the full funnel.
Is Citadel Military College of South Carolina a good school?
Data-framed fit—not a prestige rating.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a good school for those looking for strong completion alongside solid mid-career earnings.
EDsmart Data does not assign an opinion score; this framing summarizes the strongest Scorecard signals for this campus.
More from the data
Location, control, enrollment, and aid context for Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
Campus
Location
Charleston, SC
City / state
- ZIP
- 29409
- NCES locale
- Suburb
Compared with Suburban campuses nationally, net price is 15% above the median for Suburban campuses ($18,048 median).
Control
Institution type
Public
Control
- Region
- Southeast
- Carnegie
- Master's Colleges and Universities: Medium Programs
Size
Enrollment
2,705
Total enrollment
- Undergraduate
- 2,977
- Graduate
- 1,056
- Full-time share
- 94%
Student aid
Debt & aid
$21,096
Median federal loan debt
- Pell grant share
- 19.80%
Total Cost, Aid & Default
Total Cost of Attendance
Tuition vs average net price after aid for Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
Financial Aid by Income Level
Financial aid distribution by income level.
Student Loan Default Rate
The published 3-year cohort default rate for borrowers at Citadel Military College of South Carolina was 0.00%.
Cohort default rates account for borrowers who default in the first three years.
Tuition tracker
Published tuition and average net price by reporting year come from the College Scorecard institution file. Values are not adjusted for inflation; missing cells mean the field was not reported or was suppressed for Citadel Military College of South Carolina in that year.
Reporting years in the table below: 2013–2023 (Scorecard labels refer to the institutional submission cycle).
| Year | In-state tuition & fees | Out-of-state tuition & fees | Average net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | $10,838 | $29,639 | $17,146 |
| 2014 | $11,098 | $30,706 | $17,685 |
| 2015 | $11,364 | $31,780 | $17,454 |
| 2016 | $11,734 | $32,812 | $18,430 |
| 2017 | $12,056 | $33,819 | $17,935 |
| 2018 | $12,516 | $34,988 | $17,837 |
| 2019 | $12,620 | $35,876 | $18,548 |
| 2020 | $12,620 | $35,876 | $18,559 |
| 2021 | $12,570 | $35,826 | $19,731 |
| 2022 | $12,570 | $35,826 | $21,619 |
| 2023 | $12,570 | $37,370 | $21,002 |
Sticker tuition and net price over time
Where the institution reported separate in-state and out-of-state tuition, both appear. Gaps mean the value was not reported for that year.
College Scorecard reporting-year fields (not inflation-adjusted).
Net price by family income
Brackets follow Scorecard definitions for the series shown (public vs private institution).
Latest income-band net prices available in the processed extract.
How difficult is it to get in?
Acceptance Rate
This institution is highly selective, accepting fewer than 3 in 10 applicants.
Applicants → admits → first-time enrollment from College Scorecard / IPEDS. Bar widths are scaled for readability at highly selective schools.
Test Scores
Average 1208 (middle 50% not reported)
Scores for enrollees who submitted tests (College Scorecard).
Academic Requirements
Estimated from admission selectivity and test scores. Scorecard does not publish admitted-student GPA for most institutions.
Estimated range · median 3.45
Estimated GPA band from selectivity and test scores — not an official requirement.
Enrollment & Student Demographics
Citadel Military College of South Carolina reported total enrollment of about 2,705 students in the latest College Scorecard extract. The student body is about 86% male and 14% female. Enrollment by race and ethnicity includes White (72.9%), Hispanic or Latino (9.7%), and Black or African American (8.3%). About 19.80% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Roughly 18.8% of students are first-generation college students.
Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment
94.2% Full-Time Enrollment
The total enrollment at Citadel Military College of South Carolina in 2024 is 2,705 students.
Undergraduate enrollment is about 2,977 students. Graduate enrollment is about 1,056 students.
Full-time vs part-time enrollment comparison.
Retention Rate over Time
85.8%
2024 Retention Rate
Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall.
Retention rate over time compared to similar institutions.
Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity
Largest share of total enrollment in our College Scorecard extract.
College Scorecard student demographics (total enrollment shares).
Do students complete their programs?
Time to Complete
68.00% 100% Completion Time
75.00% 150% Completion Time
In 2024, 68.00% of students graduating from Citadel Military College of South Carolina completed their program within 100% "normal time".
Completion rates over time compared to similar institutions.
Completions by Sex (Top Programs)
- Business/Commerce, General: 80% male / 20% female
- Intelligence, General: 76% male / 24% female
- Mechanical Engineering: 88% male / 12% female
IPEDS completions by sex for the five largest programs (aggregate CIPs excluded).
Completions by Race & Ethnicity
Largest group by summed IPEDS award counts across reported programs.
Summed across program completion records in our extract.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina graduates earn a median of $72,085 ten years after entry
Finding Earnings, debt, and program mix define the financial profile of Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
Evidence Median earnings 10 years after entry: $72,085. Median federal loan debt: $21,096. Average net price used in cost models: $20,723.
Method College Scorecard median earnings (10-year), median debt, and EDsmart ROI / payback models using campus net price.
Interpretation Institution-wide ROI and debt ratios summarize campus averages; program choice still drives individual outcomes.
Limitation Salary reflects median earnings ten years after entry; ROI is not program-specific.
Key takeaway Citadel Military College of South Carolina graduates report median earnings of $72,085 ten years after entry—an institution-wide outcomes signal, not a program guarantee.
Return on Investment
Debt and 4-year net cost vs. cumulative 10-year median earnings for Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
Top Programs by Completions
Largest 10 programs by IPEDS completions (44 reported codes; aggregate/unknown CIP buckets excluded).
IPEDS award counts for the largest programs at Citadel Military College of South Carolina.
Employment Outcomes
Median earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after entry for Citadel Military College of South Carolina graduates.
How financially powerful is this institution?
Finding: federal finance and Scorecard instructional fields for Citadel Military College of South Carolina—endowment assets (fiscal year 2023), instructional staffing and expenditure. Compared with state, regional, and U.S. medians from EDsmart Data institutional financials.
Institutional endowment
$401.8M
End-of-year assets · Fiscal year 2023
- South Carolina median 31× the median ($12.8M)
- Southeast median 21× the median ($19.4M)
- U.S. median 15× the median ($26.4M)
- South Carolina median 15× the median ($7,041)
- Southeast median 12× the median ($9,308)
- U.S. median 8.9× the median ($12,100)
Instructional Resources
- Full-time faculty share: 69.8%
- South Carolina median 9.1 pp above median (60.7%)
- Southeast median 10.4 pp above median (59.4%)
- U.S. median 11.9 pp above median (58.0%)
- Average faculty salary (monthly): $10,071
- South Carolina median 1.5× the median ($6,831)
- Southeast median 1.5× the median ($6,825)
- U.S. median 1.3× the median ($7,615)
- Instructional expenditure per FTE: $10,016
- South Carolina median 1.2× the median ($8,125)
- Southeast median 1.5× the median ($6,602)
- U.S. median 1.4× the median ($7,288)
Instructional metrics from College Scorecard. Peer medians are campus-level; see the institutional financials deep dive. Detailed non-instructional staff counts are not included here.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina at a glance
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public institution in Charleston, SC, classified as Master's Colleges and Universities: Medium Programs.
- Largest programs (IPEDS awards)
- Business/Commerce, GeneralIntelligence, GeneralMechanical Engineering
- Largest enrollment groups
- White or Caucasian72.9%Hispanic or Latino9.7%Black or African American8.3%
Schools near Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Other campuses in Charleston, SC when available, plus nearby institutions in South Carolina.
Similar schools
Peers matched by the same EDsmart outcomes grade (Grade B) within South Carolina, then by similar ownership and admissions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Citadel Military College of South Carolina located?
Citadel Military College of South Carolina is located in Charleston, SC.
What is Citadel Military College of South Carolina's acceptance rate?
The acceptance rate at Citadel Military College of South Carolina is 22.7% among first-time degree-seeking students reporting admissions data. IPEDS reports 2,883 applicants and 2,828 admits in the latest admissions cycle in our extract.
What is Citadel Military College of South Carolina's tuition?
Citadel Military College of South Carolina tuition (published undergraduate sticker price) is $12,570 in the latest College Scorecard data. Average net price after grant aid is $20,723 for undergraduates receiving Title IV aid.
How much does Citadel Military College of South Carolina cost?
Reported tuition is $12,570 and average net price is $20,723 in the latest College Scorecard data. On-campus room and board is estimated at $9,705 annually.
What explains Citadel Military College of South Carolina's return on investment in EDsmart Data?
EDsmart Data models ROI using campus average net price ($20,723), completion (75.0% within 150% of normal time where reported), and median earnings ten years after entry ($72,085). High completion and strong mid-career earnings relative to net cost raise modeled ROI; the estimate is institution-wide and not program-specific. Debt-to-earnings ratios, when available, further contextualize borrowing pressure. Limitations include suppressed fields, program mix, and labor-market variation over time.
What is the student body demographics at Citadel Military College of South Carolina?
Citadel Military College of South Carolina reports undergraduate enrollment of about 2,977 students, White (72.9%), Hispanic or Latino (9.7%) in federal College Scorecard data.
How many first-generation students attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina?
About 18.8% of students at Citadel Military College of South Carolina are first-generation college students.
What test scores do students need for Citadel Military College of South Carolina?
Among enrolled students who submitted scores, Citadel Military College of South Carolina reports midpoint SAT about 1208.
What do graduates of Citadel Military College of South Carolina earn?
Median earnings are $60,168 six years after entry and $72,085 ten years after entry.
What is the graduation rate at Citadel Military College of South Carolina?
The 150%-time completion rate is 75.0% for the cohort reported to the College Scorecard.
How much debt do Citadel Military College of South Carolina students have?
Median federal loan debt among completers is $21,096.
Is Citadel Military College of South Carolina public or private?
Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public institution located in Charleston, SC.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
- Related geography & profiles
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology & Data Scope
This profile uses institution-level fields from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, merged with IPEDS directory attributes where needed for locale, ownership, and program completions.
Benchmark rows compare this campus to NCES locale-type medians (for example Suburban) from our processed location extract. Implied U.S. medians are derived from locale-vs-national percentage fields in that extract—not a separate national Scorecard table.