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Conway , SC
Coastal Carolina University (CCU), located in Conway, South Carolina, is a public university known for its vibrant campus community and strong academic programs. With its picturesque location just a few miles from the beautiful beaches of Myrtle Beach, CCU offers students a unique blend of academic excellence and the opportunity to enjoy a coastal lifestyle. The university is committed to providing students with a personalized learning experience, offering a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs across various disciplines.
At CCU, students can choose from more than 70 fields of study, including popular programs in business, marine science, education, communication, and health sciences. The university emphasizes hands-on learning, encouraging students to engage in research, internships, and service-learning opportunities that help them gain practical skills and real-world experience. The dedicated faculty at CCU are experts in their fields and are committed to helping students succeed both inside and outside the classroom.
In addition to its strong academic programs, Coastal Carolina University boasts an active campus life, providing students with numerous opportunities to get involved and make lasting connections. The university offers a wide range of student organizations, including clubs, honor societies, recreational sports teams, and cultural groups, allowing students to pursue their interests and passions. CCU is also known for its vibrant social scene, with various campus events and activities throughout the year, including concerts, comedy shows, and sports competitions. With its combination of academic excellence, coastal location, and vibrant campus community, Coastal Carolina University offers students a truly enriching and fulfilling college experience.
Located in Conway, SC and set in a suburban environment, Coastal Carolina University is a public university. This educational institution operates on a semester-based calendar. It has an acceptance rate of 75%. The freshman retention rate at Coastal Carolina University is 77.4% and the six-year graduation rate is 48%.
The freshmen application deadline for this school is February 1. Explore this school's profile to find out the most essential things about Coastal Carolina University.
Quick Facts
10,811
Total Number of Undergraduate Students
17:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
48%
Graduation Rate
Admissions
If you find out as much as possible about the school's criteria for admission, your chances of getting accepted will significantly increase. Learn some important information about admission at Coastal Carolina University.
According to the newest information reported, this institution uses standardized test scores for admission and it admitted 15,828 in 2025. Coastal Carolina University has an official test-optional admission policy but considers standardized test scores if the applicant chooses to submit them. As far as admission difficulty is considered, based on data self-reported by the institution this school is moderately difficult to get into.
Test Scores
Out of the number of applicants who submitted test scores, the percentage of first-time, first-year degree-seeking students who submitted SAT scores was 23% and ACT scores 8%. 1.5% of the new students submitted SAT composite scores between 1,400 and 1,600, 28.8% between 1,200 and 1,399, 62.4% between 1,000 and 1,199, and 7.4% between 800 and 999. The percent of first-year students who submitted ACT Composite scores in the range between 30-36 was 6.3, 41.6 between 24-29, 50.7 in the range between 18-23, and 1.4 between 12-17.
The average ACT score for all the enrolled students in 2025 was 24 and the average GPA was 3.8. That means that you need a GPA that's above average in order to get into Coastal Carolina University; the same goes for your ACT score.
The SAT Critical Reading average score was 579 for the admitted students, while the average SAT Math score was 563.
Deadlines
The deadline for submitting applications to Coastal Carolina University is February 1.
Retention Rate
The freshman retention rate is defined as the percentage of first-year students who return for their sophomore year at a college or university. This piece of data is important as it can reveal to the prospective students how many freshmen liked the school enough to return to it as sophomores.
As reported in 2025, the freshman retention rate for Coastal Carolina University was 77.4%, demonstrating the exceptional quality of the educational experience at this institution.
The graduation rate is another indicator to take into account. It provides valuable insight into the percentage of students who complete their studies within a designated timeframe. At this school, the rate of students graduating within six years is 48%.
Student Body
Figuring out which school is the right fit for you is not a task you should take lightly. Gaining a better insight into a school's student body helps you learn more about its culture and life.
Main Student Body
In 2025, the school had an enrollment of 11,348 students.
That year, the school had 62.1% of students coming from another state. The total number of undergraduate students enrolled at the institution was 10,811, 91 of which were international students. 711 students enrolled as transfer students.
Student Population Gender Ratio
The student body is coeducational, with 4,500 male and 5,719 female full-time students in 2025. There were 70 full-time graduate male and 78 full-time graduate female students at this school.
Student Population Diversity
When it comes to improving a sense of inclusion and belonging among students, there is no denying the importance of student diversity. In a diverse learning space, you will be exposed to people from different backgrounds, which promotes the feeling of inclusion and acceptance. Learn more about all the ethnic communities you might encounter at this institution.
In 2025, out of the total number of students enrolled at the institution, the number of students of Asian origin was 108, and the number of Black American students was 1,198. 727 students at this school declared as Hispanic/Latino and 437 as multirace. The school also had 7 students who declared as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, as well as 31 American Indian or Alaska Native students. There were also 109 students whose ethnicity is unknown.
Cost
Before sending an application to any college or university, the financial component should be taken into account. Here are some data on the expenses that most students at this institution have.
Tuition and Fees
Wondering about tuition at Coastal Carolina University? Here is what you need to know.
For local residents, public county and municipal institutions reported that tuition costs were $11,460. Tuition fees were $29,746 for students coming from a different state. If you are an international student at Coastal Carolina University, you should know that the 2025 tuition was $29,746, as well. Fees per academic year required of full-time students reached $180 in 2025.
| Category | Tuition | Fees | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State | $29,746 | $180 | $29,926 |
| In-State | $11,460 | $180 | $11,640 |
Books and Supplies
The estimated cost of books and supplies for a college or university should also be taken into consideration as another significant expense. The cost of books and supplies for full-time students of this school is estimated at about $1,294.
Boarding
Before you apply to a college or university, you should, among other things, think about the price of a dorm room and cafeteria meals. What is the typical amount colleges and universities charge for room and board?
At Coastal Carolina University, the 2025 annual cost of room and board (on campus) was $13,330. Room-only (on campus) cost per academic year at this school amounted to $7,830, according to the data from 2025. The estimated expense of room-only (on campus) for commuters not living at home was $7,790.
| Expense Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition | $ 11,460 |
| Room and Board | $ 13,330 |
| Book and Supplies | $ 1,294 |
| Total Expense | $ 26,084 |
Financial Aid
Grants, loans, scholarships, work-study programs: these are all types of financial aid for students. Check out some recent data to get informed about need-based and non-need-based aid students could get at Coastal Carolina University.
According to the most recent data, 1,806 freshmen were awarded financial aid. The average financial aid package awarded to students amounted to $14,199.88.
Need-based
Need-based aid is financial aid that a student can receive if they are determened to have financial need and meet other eligibility criteria.
There were 5,610 students who attained need-based financial aid of any kind. The overall number of students (including freshmen) who were determined to have financial need was found to be 5,741. The amount of federal need-based scholarships/grants awarded to the students at this institution came to $15,593,248, and state $10,327,316. The students of Coastal Carolina University received the -institutional need-based aid in the amount of $21,289,847, and external in the amount of $1,709,968.
$6,498
Average Amount of Aid Received
Non-Need Based
Any financial aid given to a student who does not meet the requirements for need-based aid is considered non-need-based aid. Most students get non-need-based financial aid as Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and the TEACH Grant.
Institutional non-need-based scholarships or grants were given to 645 students overall (including freshmen) at Coastal Carolina University in 2025. 234 full-time freshmen were awarded institutional non-need-based scholarship or grant aid. Federal non-need-based scholarships and grants totaled $15,593,248 for students at this institution, while state aid came to $13,416. The total amount of non-need-based institutional scholarships/grants was $15,060,049. This includes endowment, alumni, other institutional awards, and also external funds awarded by the institution, but doesn't include athletic aid and tuition waivers. $1,723,889 was the amount that the students at this institution got from external sources (like Kiwanis and National Merit).
Majors
Faculty
17:1
Student to Faculty Ratio
The student-to-faculty or student-to-professor ratio represents the number of students compared to the number of professors at a school.
In 2025, this ratio at Coastal Carolina University was 17:1. That means that there were 17 times more students than teachers at this school. This school has recently reported to have 855 faculty members. Out of that number, there were 399 men and 456 women. The fact that female faculty members outnumber the male ones at this school speaks volumes for gender equality at Coastal Carolina University.
Student Population Diversity Graph
Campus Life
It is not all about learning and grades at Coastal Carolina University: campus life is a crucial component of your educational experience. Check out some information about social life at Coastal Carolina University.
It has a campus size of 621 acres.
Student Organizations
A student organization is run by students at a university or a college institution, whose membership typically consists only of current students and/or alumni.
There are 192 student organizations and groups with open membership at this school. That includes sororities and fraternities. 3 percent of male and 6 of female students take part in in different organizations at Coastal Carolina University. The most popular student organization is American Marketing Association at Coastal Carolina, followed by Coastal Sea Turtle Club and Exercise Science Club. Other popular organizations at Coastal Carolina University are Coastal Carolina Surf Club and Love Blue.
If you are interested in music, you can join the Coastal Carolina University band or chorus. There is a drama club you can join if acting is something that interests you. For students interested in media and communication, Coastal Carolina University publishes its own newspaper and has its own radio station.
Student Services
Coastal Carolina University offers a number of services needed for a pleasant and secure life on campus.
24/7 emergency phone and alarm devices are available. The dormitory entrances are electronically operated. There is a security patrol available 24/7. The transport/escort service operates during late hours.
There is a medical clinic with personal/psychological counseling. In addition, other services like Veteran's Affairs and Women's Center are available to the students of Coastal Carolina University.
All in all, campus life at Coastal Carolina University is rich and vibrant and provides all you need for a comfortable stay.
Career Services
Having career services at a college or university can mean a great deal for your career planning, so find out what you can expect at Coastal Carolina University.
Career Counselling
At Coastal Carolina University, there is both group career counseling for all students and individual career counseling for all students. There are a library, a job bank, and job fairs. Job interviews are also available to students through the career center. The career center offers resume preparation and resume referral to employers. There is campus employer recruitment for all the students. This school offers alumni networking opportunities, which could be highly beneficial for your future career. Individual job placement is available to all students at this school.
Job Placement
Understanding the potential salary after graduating can be of help in determining if a specific educational institution matches your professional aspirations.
The average base annual starting salary of the students who were employed within six months of graduation at this school is 46,815 USD.
$46,815
Average Starting Salary After 6 Months of Graduation
FAQ
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Coastal Carolina University is located in Conway, SC.
-
This school uses standardized test scores for admission.
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The most recent data indicate that the acceptance rate for Coastal Carolina University is 75%.
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The most recent reported freshman retention rate for Coastal Carolina University is 77.4%.
Contact Information
Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved. Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
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Data Source: IPEDS and Peterson's Databases © 2023 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved.
Portions of this content were co-written with OpenAI's GPT-3.5 model.
