college_name
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Overall Score: 73.86

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, SC http://www.citadel.edu/
The Citadel, in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of the six senior military colleges in the U.S. But unlike the country’s five service academies, its graduates are not required to serve in the armed forces upon graduation. Campus life here is very structured: Students wear uniforms and march in military formations. Nearly 80% of students who apply get in, and 72% of them graduate within six years. The college has a well-regarded civil engineering program. Other popular majors include criminal justice and law enforcement, business administration and the social sciences. The college isn't particularly diverse: about 75% of the students are white and more than 85% are male. (Women weren't admitted until 1996.) The school offers wide-ranging opportunities, including the Global Scholars Program, which allows students to get a full semester of credits abroad in places like Greece and Cyprus. In Money’s rankings, the college scores well for its student outcomes: nearly all graduates are working a year after leaving, and recent alums post above-average earnings.

Costs

Est. full price 2022-2023
$31,300
% of students who get any grants
65%
Est. price for students who receive aid
$18,900
Average price for low-income students
$7,450

Admissions

Acceptance rate
75%
Median SAT/ACT score
1140/23
SAT/ACT required?
No
Undergraduate enrollment
2,910

Financial Aid

% of students with need who get grants
83%
% of need met
67%
% of students who get merit grants
26%
Average merit grant
$16,140

Student Success

Graduation rate
71%
Average time to a degree
4.1 years
Median student debt
$23,000
Early career earnings
$67,770
% earning more than a high school grad
84%

Notes: Students who get merit grants are full-time undergraduates who had no financial need and were awarded grants. Graduation rate measures degree completion within six years for both transfer students and first-time students. Early career earnings are the median earnings for both graduates and non-completers, 10 years after they first enrolled.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson’s, Money/Witlytic calculations.

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