This article will not tell you whether The Citadel is your family's school. That depends on what your child wants to study, how much you can afford, and how far away you are willing to have your child live. What I will give you is something that is rarely explained clearly: exactly what this university is, with numbers you can understand even if you have never studied how the federal education data system works.
A small, highly residential school with a genuinely military name
The Citadel is in Charleston, South Carolina, within the Charleston-North Charleston metropolitan area. It is a public four-year institution. The federal system that classifies US colleges and universities places it among master's universities with larger programs and describes it as a medium-sized, highly residential four-year school: at least half of its undergraduate students lived in institution-owned or institution-affiliated housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attended full time.
That word, “residential,” matters. This is not a school where most students arrive by car in the morning and leave after class. It is a school where students live. And living there is paid for separately from tuition. That detail, obvious as it may sound, is precisely what many families overlook when comparing prices across universities: always ask for the separate cost of room and board before placing two schools side by side.
It is also classified in the selective-admission category within the undergraduate profile used by this system, and it offers study through the graduate level, although that institutional fact does not tell you whether the specific major your child is interested in exists or how the bachelor's and master's programs connect. That must be asked program by program.
The Citadel has none of the three special designations tracked by the government: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this directory, 138 have at least one of the three. The fact that The Citadel does not have one says nothing about whom it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which student organizations and cultural centers exist today.
A small and highly distinctive community
Here is something every family should know before picturing the campus: The Citadel had 3,727 students enrolled in the official fall count, of whom 2,661 were undergraduates and 1,066 were graduate students. If your child is entering a bachelor's-degree program, the number that matters is 2,661, not the total. The graduate population inflates the total.
Compared with the 519 selective-admission public four-year schools in this census, it is on the smaller side: seven out of ten of those schools, or more, have more students.
And one characteristic stands out immediately: the undergraduate population is almost entirely male. Out of every 100 students, only 15 are women. That fact completely changes how you might picture social and community life there, and it is worth discussing at home before moving forward.
Hispanic or Latino students account for 9 out of every 100 undergraduates, a small minority and a share below the midpoint among similar schools in this census. That neither removes the school from consideration nor places it on the list. It only counts who is enrolled. If your child will be among the few, the task during a visit is to ask which student groups and cultural centers exist, who in the office speaks Spanish, and to speak with a Latino student who is already there. Just over half of first-time students, 51 out of every 100, came from the same state.
The academic calendar, AP credit, and the military presence in the classroom
The Citadel organizes its academic year by semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks. It accepts credit from AP exams but did not check the box for credit based on life experience. It also reports accepting credit for military training, which makes sense at a school with this identity.
Keep something important in mind: accepting AP does not mean the school automatically grants credit for every exam. The data do not say what score is required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits will count toward your child's specific major. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
In one year, the school awarded 685 bachelor's degrees across 16 fields of study. Business and management awarded the most, accounting for 28 out of every 100 degrees, but no other field accounts for the bulk of them: the offerings are distributed rather than concentrated in a single area. Compared with 514 similar schools, it ranks in the quarter with the fewest fields represented in its reported bachelor's-degree detail. This counts degrees awarded in one year, not people or the current catalog. Before deciding, ask about the exact major that interests your child: how many students graduated in it, how long they took, and what the curriculum is like.
The ratio of students to instructional staff is 11 to 1, a low figure compared with similar schools and within the bottom quarter of its comparison group. That does not automatically mean small classes: it is an aggregate ratio, not the actual size of a classroom.
The Citadel also reports structured opportunities: study abroad, undergraduate research, a complete program that can be taken only at night or on weekends, and teacher preparation and certification pathways. It is worth asking which ones apply to the major your child has in mind.
Admissions: the door is almost always open
Here is one of the most important facts in this entire article. The Citadel does not have open admissions—it does review application materials before saying yes—but in practice, almost everyone gets in: of the 2,883 first-time applicants, 2,828 received an offer. That is 98 out of every 100. Only 55 did not receive an offer. Among the 519 selective public schools in this census, it is among those that accept the most; at least nine out of ten schools in that group accepted a smaller percentage.
What exactly does it review? Of nine possible considerations, it identifies three as required: the high school transcript, the high school GPA, and completion of the college-preparatory coursework the university requires. Other items are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, letters of recommendation, and whether a family member attended the school. That last point, legacy status, is something your child cannot change. If it does not apply, do not spend energy on it. Spend that energy on what is within your child's control: the transcript, the GPA, and the right courses.
The application fee is $40. The SAT and ACT are not required: if your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds just the same. Among enrolled students who submitted the SAT—only 13 out of every 100—the middle half scored between 540 and 640 in reading and writing and between 540 and 610 in math. Those numbers describe students who enrolled and submitted scores, not all applicants: 540 is not a minimum, and 640 guarantees nothing.
Now comes the hard truth that needs to be stated plainly: the fact that almost everyone gets in does not mean almost everyone stays. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 23 enrolled that fall. The other 77 had a place and did not take it. That is not a stain on the school and says nothing about its quality—the federal record does not explain why each person made that decision—but it should change how your family uses its energy: the real battle at this school is not getting in. It is deciding whether attending makes sense, and that decision must be made with the net price in hand, not with the acceptance letter.
Regarding transfers: among the bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, 20 out of every 100 transferred without completing there and enrolled at another school. That is a typical percentage compared with similar schools. Changing schools is not failing, but your child should know from the beginning how to request the records needed to move if necessary.
The price: two very different numbers depending on the state
At Citadel Military College of South Carolina, among 25 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $12,055. Among 35 students in the same population whose EFC family income was from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $18,467; among 87 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $24,725. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents' income with their own.
There is a difference of $12,670 between the average for the lowest-income band, which included 25 students, and the average for the highest-income band, which included 87 students. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family's price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $21,041.
$12,055 was the average net price for the lowest-income families in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you decide whether it is worth requesting the financial aid letter.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours is the first step. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter sent specifically to you is what matters.
Aid and loans: who receives what
Aid that does not have to be repaid—grants and scholarships—reached 72 out of every 100 degree-seeking students. Among those who received it, the average was $14,018 per year. But the federal Pell Grant, reserved for low-income families, reached only 19 out of every 100. That means much of the aid received by The Citadel's students does not come from Pell but from other sources: institutional, state, or other types. It is worth asking the financial aid office directly which programs account for that difference.
The fact that Pell appears infrequently does not mean there is no place here for families like yours. The figure counts those who are already enrolled, not those who could enroll. Ask for a specific example, in writing, of what a family with your income would receive.
Regarding loans: 37 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in the 2022–23 school year, with an average of $6,398 among those who borrowed. That is a typical percentage compared with similar schools. This number does not include loans parents take out in their own names, bank debt, or credit card debt, nor is it the accumulated debt at graduation: it covers only one year. This percentage does not determine which group your child falls into—the one that leaves without debt or the one that borrows. The financial aid letter your child receives determines that, and you need to wait for that letter before ruling out or committing to the school.
Campus life: required first-year housing, ROTC in all three branches, and NCAA sports
The Citadel does have institution-controlled housing, with reported capacity for 2,372 students. The school responded that not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there as a universal rule—although that does not rule out such a requirement for a specific program or year. It also offers meal plans with a fixed number of meals per week in its largest option. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed: request the annual rate, the housing application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list, all in writing.
One characteristic distinguishes this school: it lists ROTC for all three service branches—Army, Navy, and Air Force—along with the Marine Corps option within Navy. Of the 3,012 universities in this directory, only 135 list all three branches. That is uncommon. But a checked box does not prove that the program operates exactly on this campus, how many openings it has, or whether it provides scholarships. Ask about each pathway by name before building your child's plan around ROTC.
The Citadel competes in intercollegiate sports and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported membership in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child is interested in competing, the instruction is simple: write to the coach of that specific sport and ask whether there is an opening, which division they compete in, and whether that sport offers scholarships. Request the answer in writing.
Regarding distance education: The Citadel offers it at the undergraduate and graduate levels, but only 5 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes remotely; the other 95 took at least one class in person. The library operates with employed staff, has physical and digital materials, and offers interlibrary lending. The institution also reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a point of contact for military service members and their families, and a student veterans' organization. None of these facts guarantees quality or effectiveness: they are reported services, not promises of results.
What happens after they get in: retention and graduation
Here is perhaps the most candid fact in the entire profile. Of the full-time, bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2022, 88 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already graduated one year later. That is a high proportion compared with similar schools, within the upper part of its comparison group.
And the six-year graduation rate for the cohort that entered in 2017 was 73 out of every 100. At the four-year mark, it falls to 64 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it is in the top quarter.
It is worth looking at the complete breakdown of that same cohort, which included 677 students: 493 graduated here within the time limit; 133 transferred without completing here and enrolled at another school; 2 remained enrolled without having finished; and 49 fell into the “no longer enrolled” category, which does not explain the reason and may include those who finished after the official time limit.
A high number is not a promise for your child. It is what happened to the cohort that entered in 2017. What is within your control, and your child's, is making sure your child enters with credits in order and knows from the first semester who the academic advisor is and when registration opens for courses in the major.
The eight-year follow-up, using a different cohort that entered in 2015-16, shows that 76 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school by the August 2023 reporting date. Among Pell Grant recipients, the figure was 71 out of every 100, seven points below the group without Pell. In both cases, the institution ranks in the top quarter compared with similar schools. But again, this is an earlier cohort, not a prediction about your child. What you should ask about is the program's current support and the outcomes of more recent cohorts.
What you already know, and what remains to be learned
You now know something real about The Citadel: it is a small school with an almost entirely male student body and an admissions door that almost never closes, but with a stark difference between the price for South Carolina residents and the price for those from out of state; its retention and graduation rates are among the highest in its comparison group; and its military identity is visible in ROTC for all three branches and in the credit it grants for military training.
This is one piece of the map, not the entire map. You still need to combine this information with what your child truly wants to study and do in life, what your child has already built in high school, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A real plan comes from that combination, not from a single article.
If you live in South Carolina, the price changes completely compared with living out of state. If your child is looking for an environment with a strong military presence and structure, this school says a great deal about itself through its own numbers. If what you want is certainty that your child will get in, it is nearly guaranteed here; what is not guaranteed is what happens afterward, and that depends on the financial aid letter you receive, the advisor assigned to your child, and how your child uses those first semesters.
Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina to the US Department of Education's IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent The Citadel or any government agency; this article is informational and does not replace official or personalized information the institution may provide directly to your family.