Charleston Southern vs Liberty University

Charleston Southern University and Liberty University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning in the southeastern United States, offer distinct educational experiences. Charleston Southern, a private Christian university in Charleston, South Carolina, boasts a smaller student body and a lower acceptance rate compared to Liberty, a private evangelical Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia. While Liberty offers a wider range of undergraduate programs, Charleston Southern excels in certain fields such as nursing and business. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, but Liberty's larger size and diverse student body may appeal to those seeking a more vibrant campus life. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover which university better aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Charleston Southern University	Liberty University
Overview
Location	Charleston, South Carolina	Lynchburg, Virginia
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%	79.0%
Common app member	Yes	No
Religious affiliation	Baptist	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	57.2%	99.3%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $50 Graduate: $50
SAT range	990 - 1200	N/A
ACT range	18 - 23	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	50.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%
Total number of applicants	3,940	28,448
Total number of admissions given out	2,254	28,244
Admitted students who chose to enroll	690	5,461
Yield rate	30.6%	19.3%
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	$42,620
Average net price	$18,182	$27,891
Tuition	$28,630	$21,663
Room & board	$11,032	Room/dormitory: $6,150 Meal plan: $4,560
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $22,425	89.0% Average amount $12,431
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $5,238	52.0% Average amount $5,619
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $10,921	9.0% Average amount $17,351

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,725 Men 35.6% Women 64.4%	47,696 Men 43.0% Women 57.0%
Graduate students	616 Men 36.7% Women 63.3%	47,013 Men 38.7% Women 61.3%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	23.5%	76.0%
International students	2.3%	0.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,424	8,222
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	Virginia North Carolina Pennsylvania Texas Florida

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Education Business Health Professions Psychology Theology
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	17:1
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%	62.1%
Dropout rate	49.7%	30.2%
Transferred out	N/A	5.6%
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	Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $84,316 Year 2: $62,012 Year 3: $91,964 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $80,385 Year 2: $80,964 Year 3: $87,831 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,657 Year 2: $68,219 Year 3: $77,205 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,410 Year 2: $72,022 Year 3: $73,900 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,556 Year 2: $51,106 Year 3: $65,313 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,731 Year 2: $62,936 Year 3: $64,580 Business/Commerce, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,576 Year 2: $57,705 Year 3: $62,807 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,423 Year 2: $57,714 Year 3: $62,225 Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries (Graduate/Professional Certificates) Year 1: $40,885 Year 2: $56,415 Year 3: $62,169 Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $58,240 Year 2: $59,895 Year 3: $61,052

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