Admissions Information

Office of Admissions

843.953.5670
admissions@charleston.edu
international@charleston.edu
https://charleston.edu/admission

For non-degree students:
https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/non-degree

The College of Charleston encourages applications from all academically qualified persons. There is no discrimination in the admission process based on the applicant’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veterans’ status, genetic information, or disability. Applicants who do not initially meet the College of Charleston’s admission requirements may be considered for admission when there is sufficient evidence to suggest the ability to do satisfactory work at College of Charleston.

The following policies and procedures are applicable to all degree-seeking applicants and matriculating students:

Students must submit final, official transcripts and/or documentation from each institution attended prior to the first day of class for their admitted term. Failure to provide information regarding each institution attended or to submit official transcripts may result in withdrawal of any offer of admission, restrictions on registration and/or dismissal from the College. For some applicants, we may require additional documentation specific to application questions.

Reporting of Disciplinary and Criminal Violations

Applicants to the College must be eligible to return to the last institution attended and must not be serving academic suspension at that or any other institution. 

If reported, conduct and disciplinary information will be considered. The student’s application is read and evaluated by an admissions professional and then, if indicated, the application moves to the Dean of Admissions for a second review. The Dean will include campus partners in a review if deemed necessary.  

Additional documentation may also be requested from the student if deemed necessary. A decision is released to the student based on the totality of the application through the holistic review process, including academic information, extracurricular involvement, character, etc. The decision will be released with all other admission decisions as scheduled for each admission decision round. 

Financial Aid

Federal financial aid is only available to students in a degree-seeking status.

Transfer Credit

Policies governing transfer credit and credit by exam (AP, CLEP, IB, etc.) and equivalencies are managed by the Office of the Registrar. Detailed information can be found through the Office of the Registrar.

Distance Education

Students, who take courses via mixed modalities, including distance education and online courses, must meet all appropriate admission requirements. Admissions applications for all students, including those intending to access coursework online may be filed online.

Privacy and Security Policies

Information on the privacy and security policies governing applicants’ personal information can be found online at the College’s policy website at https://charleston.edu/policy.

Appeal of admissions decision

Every student that is not offered admission to the College has the right to appeal their decision. The committee only accepts student-initiated appeals. An applicant should only appeal if there is substantial new information that the committee was not aware of at the time of the original decision. An applicant may not appeal just to request a second review of their application.

Special circumstances are considered and appeals are evaluated on a case by case basis by an admission committee.

Health Requirements

All students are required to show proof of immunization. Required immunizations and submission instructions may be found on the Student Health Services website: https://charleston.edu/student-health. Physical exams are not required.

Admissions Procedures

First-year Admission (degree seeking)

A first-year applicant is a person who has completed less than 12 college-level credit hours at another institution. Applicants who attended a post-secondary institution while still in high school are classified as freshmen. First-year applicants must have earned either a high school diploma, its international equivalent, or a high school equivalency credential prior to enrolling.   

Homeschool and High School Equivalency Students   

The College will respect each state’s homeschool laws. If the state does not require an accredited homeschool curriculum, the College will abide by those rules for admission consideration. South Carolina homeschooled students must show proof of one of the three options for homeschooling in SC Code of Law §59-65. If no option is met, a high school equivalency credential (such as GED) is required.     

For all homeschool and high school equivalency students, regardless of residency, the full academic history of all high school coursework and grades is required. Submission of the SAT or ACT is required for homeschooled students; this testing requirement may be waived for students who complete dual enrollment classes or Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate classes. For applicants submitting a high school equivalency credential such as GED, HiSET, or TASC, the SAT or ACT are not required. However, submitting a standardized test score is strongly recommended if it has been less than one year since the student received their high school equivalency diploma.   

Application requirements, deadlines, and detailed information can be found at https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/undergraduate. Options for fall admission include Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Notification. Consideration of scholarship awards may require that application deadlines are met.

Decision-Making Process

The College of Charleston maintains a holistic review process involving both quantitative and qualitative components which guide the Office of Admissions in reaching their final decisions. The admissions committee carefully weighs the student’s academic preparation (which includes grades, rank in class, and rigor of courses taken), SAT/ACT results if submitted, personal statements and essays, leadership qualification, and special talents. Special circumstances are considered and each application is reviewed and evaluated individually by admissions professionals.

Applicants for first-year admission must submit:

1. A completed application form with a nonrefundable application fee, or application fee waiver.
2. Official or unofficial high school records complete up to the time of application.

Students who enroll must submit:

1.  Official final transcripts of secondary school or high school equivalency credential, including verification of graduation and receipt of a diploma. 
2. Students who have completed post-secondary work, including dual-enrollment, while in high school must submit the official final college transcripts regardless of whether they expect to receive credit, and regardless of whether it is posted on their high school transcript.
3. If applying with standardized test score(s), official SAT or ACT test results must be sent to the College directly from the testing agency.  

To be well prepared for the challenging academics at the College of Charleston, first-year applicants should take a rigorous secondary school program of study that includes a variety of subjects. The following curriculum shows the best preparation for enrollment at the College of Charleston. This curriculum will also ensure that students are in compliance with the course requirements from the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education for entry into S.C. four-year colleges.

The College of Charleston admissions committee can consider applicants who have not taken all of these courses due to circumstances beyond their reasonable control. Students or their school counselor may address unmet coursework in a statement to the Office of Admissions. 

A college preparatory course in computer science (programming, not keyboarding) is recommended. Other acceptable electives include college preparatory courses in English, fine arts, foreign languages, humanities, laboratory science, mathematics or social sciences.

Cougar Advantage Scholars

First-year students at a public South Carolina high school in the top ten percent rank at the time of application will be automatically admitted to the College of Charleston. 

Additional information about qualifications is posted on the Cougar Advantage website.

First Year Impact Program

Some first-year students are required to participate in the First-Year Impact program as a condition of their admission. These students are identified by the admissions staff during the admissions process. Upon matriculation, First-Year Impact students are assisted by special academic support services to ensure that they are given a solid foundation on which to build their academic success. The First Year Impact program is managed by the Academic Success and Retention Office.

iCharleston

iCharleston is a first semester, international, residential program that gives selected applicants provisional admission to the College of Charleston. iCharleston consists of one semester of coursework at an international partner collegiate institution. iCharleston participants are identified and invited to participate through the College of Charleston’s first-year admissions process.   

Students participating in the iCharleston program must successfully complete program requirements and then complete an application before enrolling at the College of Charleston for the subsequent semester. 

Gap Year

First-year students who have been admitted are eligible for a gap period up to one academic year. A gap year typically consists of a program or period of non-credit bearing experiential activities that are undertaken after high school graduation. Scholarship awards will not be deferred but be based on the new entry term. Transfer and Early Decision students are not eligible for deferred enrollment or a gap period. Students planning to take a post-grad year will need to re-apply as a first-year student for the desired entry term.

College Coursework Elsewhere During Gap Year

Students are allowed to take up to 11 college credits in a non-degree seeking program during their gap year. If a student takes 12 or more college credits, first-year acceptance will be voided and the student will be considered a transfer applicant.  

Please note: a change in status from first-year to transfer will void any previously offered institutional scholarships and/or financial aid. Additionally, South Carolina residents should be aware of the state scholarship eligibility requirements once college coursework has begun.

Transfer Admission (degree-seeking)

A transfer applicant is a person who has completed 12 or more college-level credit hours at another institution.  Prior to the first day of class for the admitted term, a final official transcript is required from each college or university attended, regardless of if credit was earned or courses completed. Failure to provide information regarding each college or university attended or failure to submit transcripts may result in withdrawal of any offer of admission, restrictions on registration, and/or dismissal from the College. 

Academic and/or disciplinary information from previous collegiate institutions is required whether or not a student was considered in attendance at that institution.   

Transfer applicants must not be serving academic suspension at that or any other institution. Students who are serving disciplinary suspension or have other disciplinary or criminal violations, including pending charges, must disclose this information in the application. Subsequent documentation may be requested.   

Transfer admission guidelines strongly suggest a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.400 from all previous institutions attended, calculated on a 4.000 scale. Special circumstances are considered, and each application is reviewed and evaluated individually by admissions professionals. 

Application requirements and deadlines can be found at https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/transfer.

Information about the College of Charleston policy related to the statewide transfer articulation of coursework from South Carolina two-year colleges is available via the Office of the Registrar.

Readmit Students (degree-seeking)

For undergraduate students returning after an absence from the College of Charleston, a cumulative College of Charleston GPA of a 2.000 or greater is required for admission. If a student has attended another college or university in the interim, official or unofficial transcripts must be submitted for review.

For students who left the College with less than a 2.000 cumulative GPA, the Academic Success and Retention Office will individually evaluate and make a decision on the conditional readmission of the candidate based on their current potential for academic success. If a student has attended another college or university in the interim, official or unofficial transcripts must be submitted for review.

Application requirements and deadlines can be found at https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/readmitted. Readmit applicants with a College of Charleston GPA of less than 2.000 must meet specified application deadlines: Fall term - June 1; Spring term - Nov 1.

Prior to matriculation a final official transcript is required from each college or university attended, whether or not credit was earned or courses completed. Failure to provide information regarding each college or university attended or failure to submit transcripts may result in withdrawal of any offer of admission, restrictions on registration and/or dismissal from the college. 

Note: For additional details see the Readmission  section of the catalog.

Bachelor of Professional Studies 

The Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) program provides adult students with the skills they need to succeed. Students are reviewed for admission using transfer or readmission policies. To become a student in the Bachelor of Professional Studies program, one must be 21 years of age with an earned high school diploma (or equivalent) or have completed an associate’s degree. Students will need to complete 30 credit hours of program prerequisites in the following: 

Oral and Written Communication (6-7 credit hours)

• English 101 or English 110
• Public Speaking (COMM 104 or equivalent)

Humanities and Fine Arts (6 credit hours)

• Art History/Music App/Theatre/Philosophy/Religious Studies/Ethics/Literature (choose two courses from two different disciplines)

History (3 credit hours)

• History-U.S./European/World (choose one)

Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credit hours)

• Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology/Political Science/Economics or Geography (choose two courses from two different disciplines)

Natural Science/Mathematics (12 credit hours)

• Chemistry/Physics/Biology/Astronomy or Geology (choose one)
• Statistics (MATH 104 or Applied Statistics)
• One additional MATH course beyond developmental math
• An additional 3 credit hours to be fulfilled by either an additional math, natural science, personal finance, or logic course.

EPIC Scholars  

The EPIC Scholars Program offers guaranteed admission to the College of Charleston’s Bachelor of Professional Studies (B.P.S.) program for students who have completed an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) or Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree at one of our partner technical colleges. EPIC scholars may waive program prerequisites. 

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)  degree completion program provides licensed registered nurses (RN) with the coursework and skills they need to earn their BSN degree and expand their career options. Applicants are reviewed for admission using transfer or readmit admission policies. To become a student in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program one must be a licensed RN and have completed an Associate’s Degree in Nursing (ADN) degree. Students admitted to the BSN degree completion program must meet the requirements for the major in Nursing and the College of Charleston BSN degree requirements as described in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Veteran Admission

Students who have previously served active duty, in the reserves or in the national guard should apply as transfer students and submit an official or unofficial Joint Services Transcripts (JSTs) or Community College of the Air Force transcripts (CCAF) from their respective branch of service in addition to transcript(s) from each additional college or university attended. Prior to matriculation, a final official transcript is required from any college or university attended, whether or not credit was earned or courses completed. Failure to provide information regarding each college or university attended or failure to submit transcripts may result in withdrawal of any offer of admission, restrictions on registration and/or dismissal from the college.

Students are considered in attendance at an institution if they are registered for classes after the end of the drop/add period. Academic and/or disciplinary information on their service record or from previous collegiate institutions is required whether or not a student was considered in attendance at that institution. 

To be competitive for transfer admission, applicants should have a cumulative GPA of 2.400 from a regionally-accredited institution, calculated on a 4.000 scale. Special circumstances are considered and each application is reviewed and evaluated individually by admissions professionals. First-year credentials (high school record and SAT or ACT scores) are not required for evaluation. A student’s service record and ACE credits obtained while in service will take the place of high school credential requirements.   

Second Degree Students (degree-seeking)

Students wishing to complete a second undergraduate bachelor’s degree will follow the transfer or readmission admissions guidelines. Transfer credit policies apply to students seeking a second degree. Students with prior associate’s degrees should apply as transfer students.   

International Applicants (degree-seeking)

https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/international/

International applicants, being defined as anyone who is not a citizen of the United States or a U.S. permanent resident, are required to provide additional documentation. U.S. citizens who are applying with educational credentials from outside of the U.S. may need to submit international documentation and testing, but are not required to provide the financial certification information.  In addition to submitting first-year or transfer application materials, international students must provide proof of English proficiency, certification that they have adequate funds to meet their educational expenses and the following documents: 

These documents include but are not limited to:

1. A copy of their current passport ID page and U.S. immigration document, if applicable. Additional documentation regarding citizenship and citizenship status may be required. 
2. An unofficial or official copy of secondary and post-secondary transcripts with certified word-for-word English translations. 
3. A course-by-course credential evaluation of post-secondary work from any non-U.S. institution. For transfer credit to be evaluated an official evaluation must be submitted from a NACES-approved credential evaluation agency along with English course descriptions/syllabi for each course. A current list of preferred evaluation services can be found on the website. 
4. Demonstration of English proficiency via submission of one of the following six English proficiency scores. An unofficial or official copy of the applicant’s English proficiency test score report is required. International applicants may qualify for an English proficiency exam waiver if English is the native language, if they have completed at least 24 credit hours at an accredited U.S. university, or based on academic performance in advanced-level English coursework.  

• iBT TOEFL (code: 5113) minimum score of 80 
• IELTS minimum overall score of 6.5 
• iTEP Academic Plus minimum score of 3.8 
• SAT (code: 5113) minimum Reading & Writing score of 500 
• ACT (code: 3846) minimum Reading score of 18 and English score of 20 
• Duolingo English Test minimum total score of 105 

Special circumstances are considered and each application is reviewed and evaluated individually by admissions professionals. Application requirements and deadlines can be found online. 

Upon depositing and in order to receive their Form I-20, international applicants must provide a certificate of finances that gives specific information on their ability to pay for tuition, fees and cost of living at the College of Charleston.

International Students (non-degree seeking and exchange)

International applicants seeking to enroll for credit courses without intent on earning a degree from the College of Charleston need to complete a non-degree student application. Applicants must provide proof of their English proficiency, passport copy, and certification that they have adequate funds to meet their educational expenses. Please refer to the website for a complete list of requirements: https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/international/application-checklists/visiting.php

International students seeking to enroll into one of the College of Charleston formal bi-lateral exchange programs are required to complete the application via the Center for International Education’s application portal. Please refer to the Center for International Education for information regarding the various offerings.

Non-Degree Admission

843.953.5670
https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/non-degree

Access into many of the College’s undergraduate courses is facilitated through non-degree enrollment via the office of admissions. 60+ students, high school dual enrollment students, certificate students, visiting students from other post-secondary institutions as well as individuals who wish to obtain higher education for employment purposes, graduate school preparation or for personal interest are encouraged to participate. Non-degree students must submit credentials that are appropriate to demonstrate their ability to satisfactorily complete coursework at the College. Students may need to show proof that course prerequisites have been met. 

Applicants for admission as non-degree students must submit:

1. A completed non-degree application for admission.
2. Non-degree applicants who have not attended college may be required to submit their secondary school transcript(s).
3. Non-degree applicants who have attended college may be required to submit a transcript from each college attended, including coursework completed during a summer term.
4. All applicants must also submit any additional items requested in the application materials or by the Office of Admissions.

Students who wish to take courses at the College prior to high school graduation should complete the application for dual enrollment located here. All requested transcripts and official signatures are necessary before being considered for enrollment.

College of Charleston participates in Teacher Cadet coursework at selected local high schools. Participating high school students can receive college credit of six credit hours for EDFS 105 and EDFS 106 following successful completion of this course. Contact the School of Education at 843.953.5613 for additional information.

60+ Tuition Exemption Program

South Carolina residents who are at least 60 years old qualify for a tuition exemption under South Carolina State law (Section 59-111-320). If you are 60 years old or older, and a resident of South Carolina you can apply as a degree or non-degree seeking student on a tuition-free basis. While 60+ students do not pay tuition, there is a $50 registration fee. Students are responsible for paying any fees. Books and fees (i.e. application, lab, course, program fees) are not exempt. 

• Students must apply and be admitted to the College of Charleston.
• Students must provide proof they have been a South Carolina resident for at least 12 months.

Visit 60+ Tuition Exemption Program (Undergraduate) for admission application instructions. 

Verification of Lawful Presence

Section 17 of the South Carolina Illegal Immigration Reform Act (codified at S.C. Code Ann.59-101-430) requires South Carolina public colleges and universities to verify the lawful presence (i.e., A citizen, national or alien lawfully present of the United States) of their students prior to registration for classes.  

Lawful presence verifications for U.S. citizens will be completed by the following:   

• Verifying a submitted Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or 
• Verifying official federal or state documents for proof of identity attached to the lawful presence form and submitted through the admitted student portal.  

Additionally, section 8-29-10 of the South Carolina code of laws indicates that for an applicant who has indicated they are a non-U.S. citizen, eligibility to matriculate shall be made through the Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlement (SAVE) program operated by the United States Department of Homeland Security. Please refer to the Lawful Presence website for additional information about verification.