Charleston Southern vs Harding University

Charleston Southern University and Harding University, both rooted in strong Christian values, offer distinct educational experiences. Charleston Southern, located in the vibrant city of Charleston, South Carolina, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of academic programs, including popular majors like business, nursing, and education. Harding, nestled in the scenic town of Searcy, Arkansas, is known for its rigorous academic standards and its emphasis on service and leadership. With different acceptance rates, student demographics, and graduation outcomes, these universities cater to students seeking unique paths to success. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to discover which institution aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Charleston Southern University	Harding University
Overview
Location	Charleston, South Carolina	Searcy, Arkansas
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	84.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Baptist	Churches of Christ

Admission
Acceptance rate	57.2%	54.1%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $45
SAT range	990 - 1200	1050 - 1300
ACT range	18 - 23	20 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	50.0%	23.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	80.0%
Total number of applicants	3,940	2,200
Total number of admissions given out	2,254	1,191
Admitted students who chose to enroll	690	748
Yield rate	30.6%	62.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Not required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$42,500	$34,538
Average net price	$18,182	$20,533
Tuition	$28,630	$21,690
Room & board	$11,032	Room/dormitory: $4,068 Meal plan: $4,658
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Prepaid tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $22,425	97.0% Average amount $12,769
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $5,238	45.0% Average amount $5,607
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $10,921	6.0% Average amount $12,585

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,725 Men 35.6% Women 64.4%	3,684 Men 43.8% Women 56.2%
Graduate students	616 Men 36.7% Women 63.3%	1,289 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	23.5%	N/A
International students	2.3%	6.2%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,424	2,867
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina North Carolina Georgia Florida Pennsylvania	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Education Business Communication and Journalism Kinesiology & Leisure Studies
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	16:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.3%	67.2%
Dropout rate	49.7%	31.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	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	Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $117,748 Year 2: $124,539 Year 3: $127,639 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,011 Year 2: $106,978 Year 3: $105,028 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,933 Year 2: $67,101 Year 3: $88,179 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $69,415 Year 2: $68,618 Year 3: $71,365 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $72,335 Year 2: $66,104 Year 3: $69,942 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,533 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $67,054 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,156 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $65,082 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,219 Year 2: $57,047 Year 3: $64,125 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $48,088 Year 2: $58,221 Year 3: $62,592 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,124 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $60,778

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Charleston Southern vs Harding University

Charleston Southern University

Harding University

Overview

Admission

Tuition and Fees

Financial Aid

Students and Campus

Academics

Outcome

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