Coastal Carolina University — College Profile

About

Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic public institution located just minutes from Myrtle Beach, widely recognized for its premier marine science department, the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, and nationally competitive programs in musical theatre and PGA Golf Management. The university offers a distinctive experiential learning environment highlighted by its stewardship of Waties Island, an undeveloped barrier island that serves as an expansive living laboratory for coastal wetland and oceanographic research. Student life blends a relaxed coastal atmosphere with intense school spirit centered around Division I Chanticleer athletics and the iconic teal "Surf Turf" football field.

Wikipedia:Coastal Carolina University is a public university in Conway, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, and later joining the University of South Carolina System as USC Coastal Carolina, it became an independent university in 1993.

Location

Conway, SC, 29526 · City campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

RDU · Raleigh-Durham

144 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$11,640$29,628

Housing & food (on campus)$12,146$12,146

Books & supplies$1,250$1,250

Cost of attendance$26,692$49,736

Average net price$13,966Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$29,628

In-state: $11,640

Housing & food (on campus)$12,146

Books & supplies$1,250

Cost of attendance$49,736

In-state: $26,692

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $13,966

Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.coastal.edu

How it’s made up · out-of-state, 2026-27

Coastal Carolina University’s own figures for 2026-2027, newer than the 2024-25 federal figures above, so the amounts differ.

Tuition$31,302

Housing$7,830

Food$4,728

Books & supplies$1,342

Personal expenses$4,534

Total published by the school$49,736

Source: www.coastal.edu · checked Sep 13, 2026

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$9,563

$30–48k

$10,292

$48–75k

$12,938

$75–110k

$16,350

$110k+

$20,219

Your family's actual price → Coastal Carolina University net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2024-25

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$6,413

First-years who got one706

Source: Coastal Carolina University's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures.

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

50%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

37%

Back for yr 2

77%

Transferred

33%

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

50% graduated · 37% transferred · 12% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$38,070

10 yrs after entry$47,258

Debt

Median at graduation$23,750

Monthly payment$252

Middle 50% owe$5.5k–$26k

90th percentile$32,500

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

75%

Test policy

Test optional

Per College Scorecard

SAT average

1143

R 530–620 · M 520–600

ACT midpoint

Comp 21–26 · E 20–25 · M 18–25

SAT middle 50%: 1050–1220

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

How much essays count at Coastal Carolina University: Considered (one of four levels: very important · important · considered · not considered)

Source: Coastal Carolina University's Common Data Set for 2024-25 — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures.

If Coastal Carolina University asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 44%Women 56%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

17 : 1

Pell grant

26%

First-gen

27%

Family income

$55,785

Independent

Veterans

Age at entry

20.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

74%

Hispanic

Black

12%

Asian

Two or more

Non-resident

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division I-FBS · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Beach Volleyball
Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Lacrosse
Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$38,070

After 10 yrs

$47,258

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness215

Business Administration, Management and Operations176

Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology141

Psychology, General130

Marketing129

Communication and Media Studies89

Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations82

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods80

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities72

Public Health70

Finance and Financial Management Services66

Biology, General65

Sociology60

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft47

Design and Applied Arts41

Computer and Information Sciences, General40

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$58M

Full-time faculty

100%

Faculty salary

$9,103/mo

Teaching spend

$8,741

per student

Federal loans

57%

Classification

Carnegie type

Master's (larger programs)

Research activity

R2 — high research

$5M research spending · 21 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile