Charleston Southern vs Carson-Newman University

Charleston Southern University and Carson-Newman University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Charleston Southern, located in the vibrant city of Charleston, South Carolina, boasts a higher acceptance rate, allowing more students the opportunity to pursue their academic aspirations. In contrast, Carson-Newman, nestled in the scenic town of Jefferson City, Tennessee, maintains a more selective admissions process. While Charleston Southern's student body is predominantly female, Carson-Newman's population is more evenly balanced between genders. Both universities offer a diverse range of popular majors, including business, education, and nursing, catering to students with varying interests. As you explore the comprehensive comparison table below, discover the nuances that set these two universities apart and make an informed decision about the institution that best aligns with your academic goals and personal preferences.

	Carson-Newman University	Charleston Southern University
Overview
Location	Jefferson City, Tennessee	Charleston, South Carolina
Campus setting	Suburb: Small	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	69.0%	68.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Baptist	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	78.9%	57.2%
Application fees
SAT range	955 - 1135	990 - 1200
ACT range	19 - 25	18 - 23
Students submitting SAT score	9.0%	50.0%
Students submitting ACT score	78.0%	39.0%
Total number of applicants	2,953	3,940
Total number of admissions given out	2,329	2,254
Admitted students who chose to enroll	395	690
Yield rate	17.0%	30.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$43,818	$42,500
Average net price	$18,147	$18,182
Tuition	$29,920	$28,630
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,134 Meal plan: $5,340	$11,032
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	100.0% Average amount $23,432	99.0% Average amount $22,425
Students receiving federal student loan	55.0% Average amount $5,217	56.0% Average amount $5,238
Students taking out private loans	4.0% Average amount $11,046	12.0% Average amount $10,921

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	1,695 Men 42.8% Women 57.2%	2,725 Men 35.6% Women 64.4%
Graduate students	1,140 Men 23.9% Women 76.1%	616 Men 36.7% Women 63.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	22.8%	23.5%
International students	4.0%	2.3%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,172	1,424
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Tennessee Florida Georgia South Carolina North Carolina	South Carolina North Carolina Georgia Florida Pennsylvania

Academics
Popular study areas	Education Business Health Professions Liberal Arts Kinesiology & Leisure Studies	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	14:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	56.5%	49.3%
Dropout rate	7.6%	49.7%
Transferred out	35.2%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $81,965 Year 2: $85,760 Year 3: $89,368 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $50,676 Year 2: $51,829 Year 3: $54,331 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,186 Year 2: $50,499 Year 3: $53,320 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $49,686 Year 2: $50,465 Year 3: $53,061 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $49,368 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $42,928 Year 2: $42,853 Year 3: $46,623 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,221 Year 2: $36,745 Year 3: $43,416 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,689 Year 2: $36,110 Year 3: $40,485 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,153 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: N/A Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $43,693 Year 2: $49,331 Year 3: N/A	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,078 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $80,916 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,709 Year 2: $59,425 Year 3: $64,433 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,982 Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $57,626 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,309 Year 2: $46,589 Year 3: $54,442 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,112 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $53,093 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,775 Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $48,261 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $45,715 Year 3: $47,106 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,190 Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $38,459 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,781 Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $34,518 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,345 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $31,620

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