Charleston Southern vs Presbyterian College

Charleston Southern University and Presbyterian College, both esteemed institutions in South Carolina, offer distinct educational experiences. Charleston Southern, a private Christian university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (75%) compared to Presbyterian's selective admissions (58%). Presbyterian, a liberal arts college, excels in the sciences, with popular majors in biology, chemistry, and environmental science, while Charleston Southern's strengths lie in business, education, and nursing. Presbyterian's student body is slightly larger, with a diverse mix of ethnicities and international students, while Charleston Southern's student population is predominantly White. Both institutions boast impressive graduation rates, with Charleston Southern's at 62% and Presbyterian's at 70%. Explore the detailed comparison table below to discover more about these institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Charleston Southern University	Presbyterian College
Overview
Location	Charleston, South Carolina	Clinton, South Carolina
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%	76.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Baptist	Presbyterian

Admission
Acceptance rate	57.2%	71.0%
Application fees		$179
SAT range	990 - 1200	1010 - 1220
ACT range	18 - 23	19 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	50.0%	39.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%	27.0%
Total number of applicants	3,940	1,964
Total number of admissions given out	2,254	1,394
Admitted students who chose to enroll	690	226
Yield rate	30.6%	16.2%
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	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$42,500	$55,750
Average net price	$18,182	$21,170
Tuition	$28,630	$38,220
Room & board	$11,032	Room/dormitory: $5,400 Meal plan: $5,700
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 $33,202
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $5,238	86.0% Average amount $3,939
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $10,921	8.0% Average amount $12,162

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,725 Men 35.6% Women 64.4%	991 Men 48.5% Women 51.5%
Graduate students	616 Men 36.7% Women 63.3%	240 Men 25.8% Women 74.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	23.5%	42.2%
International students	2.3%	2.7%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Town: Distant
Dormitory capacity	1,424	1,122
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	South Carolina Georgia Florida North Carolina Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences Business Psychology Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	11:1
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%	59.2%
Dropout rate	49.7%	8.4%
Transferred out	N/A	31.3%
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	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $100,950 Year 2: $118,465 Year 3: $119,548 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,314 Year 2: $42,363 Year 3: $50,307 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $22,824 Year 3: $39,461 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $32,474 Year 2: $33,518 Year 3: N/A English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $25,927 Year 2: $25,194 Year 3: N/A Biology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $16,663 Year 3: N/A Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $36,312 Year 3: N/A Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $21,479 Year 2: $24,035 Year 3: N/A History (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,696 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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