History, Affiliations and Rankings

Charleston Southern University was chartered in 1960 and founded in 1964 as the Baptist College of Charleston where it offered its first classes in the education building of the First Baptist Church of Northern Charleston. It changed its name in 1990 to Charleston Southern University. Charleston Southern is the Lowcountry’s only Christian University. Their learning community is a dynamic one with students from all over the world and many faith backgrounds. The close-knit campus offers huge opportunities - including big-time, competitive NCAA Division I athletics. Charleston Southern University is affiliated with the South Carolina Baptist Convention but is open to young students of all faiths. Charleston Southern University is a member of many associations, including but not limited to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Council of Independent Colleges, South Carolina Association of Colleges, Southern Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities and more. According to the US News and World Report, the University ranks at #57 in Regional Universities South and #37 in Top Performers on Social Mobility for the year 2022. 

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

Charleston Southern University has a 300-acre campus located in Charleston, South Carolina. It offers over 60 Undergraduate degrees and 20 Graduate degrees in Education, Business, Criminal Justice, Computer Science and more through its 8 Colleges which include College of Adult and Professional Studies, College of Business, College of Education, College of Christian Studies, College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics and College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Charleston Southern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award Baccalaureate, Master’s, and Doctorate degrees.

Accomplishments and Alumni 

Charleston Southern University prides itself in the performance of its students on National Licensure exams, the numbers going up to 100% in all years. The notable alumni at Charleston Southern University include Bobby Parnell (Baseball Player), Tim Scott (U.S. Senator), Dr Sam Gandy (Alzheimer’s researcher), and Charlie Simpkins (Track and Field Athlete)

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

The University has 3,300 students enrolled from 40 States in the USA and 41 countries, with 31.6% of the students being people of color. Graduates from Charleston Southern University are majorly employed at the Medical University of South Carolina, Boeing, Santee Cooper, Trident Technical College and SPAWAR.