Charleston Southern vs Lee University

Charleston Southern University and Lee University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Charleston Southern, located in the vibrant city of Charleston, South Carolina, boasts an acceptance rate of 68%, while Lee University, nestled in the scenic town of Cleveland, Tennessee, maintains a slightly lower acceptance rate of 58%. Charleston Southern's student body is more diverse, with 40% of students identifying as minorities compared to Lee University's 25%. Both universities offer a wide range of undergraduate programs, with popular majors at Charleston Southern including Business, Education, and Nursing, and popular majors at Lee University including Business, Nursing, and Religion. With graduation rates of 58% and 56% respectively, both universities are committed to student success. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover more key differences and find the university that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Charleston Southern University logo

Charleston Southern University

Lee University logo

Lee University

Overview

Location Charleston, South Carolina Cleveland, Tennessee
Campus setting City: Midsize City: Small
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% 81.0%
Common app member Yes No
Religious affiliation Baptist Pentecostal

Admission

Acceptance rate 57.2% 82.9%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $25

Graduate: $25
SAT range 990 - 1200 1000 - 1230
ACT range 18 - 23 20 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 50.0% 21.0%
Students submitting ACT score 39.0% 74.0%
Total number of applicants 3,940 2,222
Total number of admissions given out 2,254 1,843
Admitted students who chose to enroll 690 620
Yield rate 30.6% 33.6%
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 $42,500 $34,120
Average net price $18,182 $19,159
Tuition $28,630 $19,800
Room & board $11,032
Room/dormitory: $4,390

Meal plan: $4,120
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

99.0%
Average amount $22,425
95.0%
Average amount $13,233
Students receiving federal student loan 56.0%
Average amount $5,238
56.0%
Average amount $5,583
Students taking out private loans 12.0%
Average amount $10,921
6.0%
Average amount $12,555

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,725
Men 35.6% Women 64.4%
3,950
Men 37.8% Women 62.2%
Graduate students 616
Men 36.7% Women 63.3%
555
Men 41.4% Women 58.6%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 23.5% N/A
International students 2.3% 2.9%
Campus local/setting City: Midsize City: Small
Dormitory capacity 1,424 2,033
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
  • Theology
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Liberal Arts
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 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 49.3% 58.0%
Dropout rate 49.7% 16.6%
Transferred out N/A 24.5%
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
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $53,298
  • Year 2: $55,625
  • Year 3: $62,166
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,450
  • Year 2: $38,122
  • Year 3: $46,522
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $32,664
  • Year 2: $37,808
  • Year 3: $39,833
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $40,233
  • Year 2: $39,369
  • Year 3: $39,535
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $37,045
  • Year 2: $36,282
  • Year 3: $39,318
Theological and Ministerial Studies (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $19,292
  • Year 2: $36,141
  • Year 3: $38,814
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $25,839
  • Year 2: $25,967
  • Year 3: $37,513
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $46,254
  • Year 2: $39,369
  • Year 3: $37,304
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $35,537
  • Year 2: $35,843
  • Year 3: $36,302
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $27,445
  • Year 2: $29,374
  • Year 3: $35,567

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