College of Charleston (The College)

With our stellar location, vibrant student life and quality academic programs, the College of Charleston is truly one of the nation's great public universities. We invite you to learn more about what the College has to offer, from our rich 250+ year academic history to our state-of-the-art facilities and distinguished faculty. Get to know the school everyone's talking about.

The College of Charleston is unlike any other public university. We've built a culture that celebrates the power of diverse thought. Where different and unique perspectives unite to shape a brighter, better future. We are a nationally recognized, innovative, public liberal arts and sciences university, nestled in the heart of historic Charleston.

College can be exactly what you imagined. A world-class liberal arts education informed by the future of work. A culture that celebrates the power of diverse thought. A thriving arts destination and beacon of historic preservation. It's why Charleston is the best small city in America. And why the College boasts more than 240 student clubs and organizations. It's why we've dedicated more than 250 years to educating, elevating and inspiring generations of brilliant, curious minds.

At Charleston, students "can express themselves freely and openly with little to no judgement." The overall population may lean toward "white" and "middle to upper middle class," but "there are many diverse viewpoints and backgrounds." Charleston may technically be an urban environment, but "the city lends to a cool sort of blending where every group overlaps and coexists." This is a "small school with large school energy," and everyone at the College "is welcoming to new students and freshmen." "People are always willing to help each other out and general class culture is very positive and uplifting."

The school has a "love of its own history," as well as one for the "booming" city of Charleston. People enjoy "shopping on King Street or going to events hosted by the city," and on weekends, "many people head to the beach or socialize at parties." In between classes, students are found "grabbing food, studying in the library, or working out," and they often gather at each other's residence halls or apartments to relax and study together at night. There is something for everyone at the college with "tons of different groups on campus," and most students are "extremely involved" and "participate in multiple clubs."

Whether it means having the chance to work near campus or being close enough to walk to class every day, "the location is a perfect fit" for just about every student (particularly the many who love the outdoors). "Just going on a walk around town and seeing all of the beautiful houses and their history is extremely entertaining." The college "really does have a beautiful campus and we take pride in keeping it up," and students can just as easily live on-campus as rent nearby.