Guides & Rankings

If you combine the best of the liberal arts with market demands, you can create solutions that have a real impact on society.

We were the first college in the country to offer an undergraduate degree in data science. We have an entire school dedicated to the study of languages, cultures, and world affairs. We offer dozens of unique interdisciplinary minors. We're proud of everything we do. That's why it's so nice when other people recognize us for being more than a foodie town.

U.S. News & World Report 

In its 2025 edition, U.S. News & World Report ranks the College: 

  • No. 4 top public college in the south. 
  • No. 5 ranked college for veterans among southern institutions. 
  • No. 9 most innovative school in the region. 
  • No. 3 best college for undergraduate teaching in the south and a best value regional college. 

U.S. News & World Report recognized a few academic programs for Best Undergraduate programs:

  • Business
  • Computer Science
  • Psychology

The magazine has also listed the College as an “A-Plus School for B Students," for "scholars trapped in the GPA of a B student." 

They didn’t forget the Graduate School. The College of Charleston was ranked as a:  

  • Top 100 Best Graduate Schools for Best Public Affairs Programs. 
  • Top 100 Best Graduate Schools for Best Business Schools. 

The Princeton Review 

The College of Charleston is among a select group of institutions chosen by The Princeton Review for offering students the best value for their education: 

Colleges That Create Futures 

The College was selected as one of just 50 schools focused on providing students with practical experiences that take their academics to the next level, with, according to the guide, “tons of opportunities to gain the authentic, real-world experience they need to launch great careers.” 

Top Career Services 

The College's Career Center ranked No. 1 among public master's-level universities, based on access to job placement as well as positive student and recent-alumni experiences with the center. 

Guide to College Visits 

"Personal attention is the name of the game at the College of Charleston. The College's students love the fact that at this mid-sized school (which has an undergrad population of about 10,000) they get to know their profs as people as well as teachers." 

America's Best Value Colleges 

The Princeton Review called the College of Charleston “a moderately sized school that manages to make itself feel like a small school, a ‘Southern secret’ that is ‘extremely diverse’ and offers ‘many great fields of study.’” 

Guide to Green Colleges – four years in a row! 

The College was chosen among the 399 for its commitment to sustainability through academics, career preparation, policies, initiatives and activities. 

The Southeastern Colleges 

The College was named one of the best colleges in the Southeast. Only 25% of the nation's four-year colleges were selected for the guidebook's regional listings. Schools were selected based primarily on academic excellence.

Fiske Guide to Colleges 

The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2024 named the College of Charleston the finest public liberal arts and sciences institution in South Carolina. The publication touts the region’s rich cultural scene and the College’s diverse range of academic programs. It also highlights the Honors College, opportunities for internships and study abroad, and a healthy social life. 

The Fiske Guide notes, “students at the College of Charleston know they are getting a solid education based on creative expression, intellectual freedom and hands-on learning experiences.” 

The guidebook also surveyed a range of students. “Here, you will find faculty and staff who care for your success and great friends who come from all different backgrounds,” one student said. 

 

Even More Extraordinary

Over the years, the College of Charleston has been recognized on a number of ranking lists, including: 

  • America's Best Colleges 2025. The Wall Street Journal
  • A silver-level Military Friendly® School. Viqtory
  • America's Best Colleges. Money 
  • Travel + Leisure's most beautiful college campus in America. Travel + Leisure
  • No. 1 in short-term (spring break/ summer) study abroad program participation. Open Doors Report
  • No. 2 for total participation in study abroad among all Master's Level Colleges & Universities. Open Doors Report.
  • No. 7 for mid-length duration (semester programs) among all Master's Level Colleges & Universities. Open Doors Report.
  • No. 7 on the top 25 “Best Value Colleges” in the United States. Also, a “Top College.” Forbes
  • No. 60 among top 100 “Best Values in Public Colleges.” Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine
  • Included on the magazine’s College A-List as one of the best small public schools in the nation. PARADE

Academic Programs

All of our academic programs stand out, but some receive special notoriety in their respective fields and industries.
  • Best Computer Science Schools

    The College’s bachelor’s degree in data science was ranked No. 5 in the nation by Best Computer Science Schools for 2017. The College was selected based on institutional excellence and student success, as well as the strength of its data science program, which was the first undergraduate program of its kind in the U.S.

  • Schools.com

    The College of Charleston's international business program was ranked No. 2 in the nation using multiple factors including affordability, flexibility and student success.

  • Best Online Project Management Degrees

    The College of Charleston's B.P.S. in project management program was ranked No. 11 by Bachelor's Degree Center. The College was selected because its students emerge from the program with effective leadership and communication skills. In addition, the publication touts that graduates are ready to tackle complex problems.

  • PLEXUSS Global Rankings

    PLEXUSS Global Rankings takes provides in-depth rankings of programs and institutions across the world. Programs are ranked based on information from student feedback, input from education partners, data scientists, employers, parents and high school counselors. 

    Three College of Charleston programs are top-ranked for 2021:  

    • No. 1 Best in South Carolina Offering Geology Programs 
    • No. 1 Best in South Carolina Offering Classics and Ancient History Programs 
    • No. 1 Best in South Carolina Offering Anthropology Programs 
  • American Association of Teachers of German

    In 2022, the German Studies Program was designated as a Center of Excellence. The program is notable because it “boasts an innovative, forward-facing curriculum that emphasizes the integrated progression of students’ linguistic skills and cultural literacy, which attracts students to major or minor in German Studies as a complement to another major.”