Coastal Carolina University, in Conway, South Carolina, is a large public university with more than ten thousand students that admits most of those who apply but sees only a fraction of those admitted enroll. It is a school where half of a class graduates within six years and the other half does not. Where the sticker price can be frightening, but the actual price paid by a low-income family is usually much lower. None of this makes it good or bad. It makes it knowable. And that is the point of this article: to give you, with a reassuring hand on your shoulder, a map of one part of the journey. The other two parts—what your child wants and what your family can afford—belong only to you.
Who this university is and where it stands
The federal government classifies universities so they can be compared with one another, and that classification already tells us something. It classifies Coastal Carolina University as a master’s university with large, four-year, residential programs: at the time of that measurement, between one in four and one in two undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least half attended full-time. In other words, it is a school designed for students to move there and experience the process full-time, not a commuter school.
In another, separate measurement, it also appears among institutions that receive many transfer students. And its record of graduate degrees classifies it as offering research doctorates. Keep this in mind: that graduate profile comes from degrees awarded several years ago. It does not tell you which programs the university offers today. If your child comes here after studying at another institution, or is looking for a specific graduate program, ask in writing which courses will count and which programs currently exist. The historical label raises the question; it does not answer it.
As for the fields in which it awards degrees, the picture is balanced: neither the liberal arts nor professional fields account for the entire share. Each represents between 41 and 59 percent of the bachelor’s degrees observed in that reporting period.
Coastal Carolina University is in Conway, in Horry County, within the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area. That does not mean the campus is in the center of a large city or that transportation is easy. If your child plans to live at home, do not trust the map: drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of your child’s classes. The actual travel time is almost never what Google Maps promises.
It is a public four-year institution, and the highest level it reports offering is the doctorate. That is an institutional fact, not a promise about your child’s field of study: if your child’s interests connect undergraduate and graduate study, verify that specific pathway before taking anything for granted. And here is something simple but easy to forget: always ask how much they charge a South Carolina resident, how much they charge someone from out of state, and which of those two figures they are quoting to you. Compare prices only after you have that clarity.
Coastal Carolina University does not have any of these three special designations: 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. Coastal Carolina’s absence from that list does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations exist today, and better yet, ask someone who already attends the university.
A large school with few Latino students
Here is a number many Latino families want to know from the start: among undergraduate students in fall 2023, 6 out of every 100 were Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and compared with 519 similar selective public schools, the university ranks below the midpoint of that group.
Having few Latino students does not make the school bad, and having many would not make it good. It is simply a fact about who is enrolled today. If your child will be one of the few, the question that truly matters is different: which student groups and support services exist, and how someone who is already living that experience feels. The number describes the school as a whole; your child’s specific field may look different.
There are almost no adult students: only 3 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. The balance between men and women is fairly even, with 55 women out of every 100 students. And here is a fact that surprises some families: fewer than half of first-time students—31 out of every 100—had reported permanent residency in South Carolina. The rest came from out of state or other countries, or their residency was not clearly reported.
In total, Coastal Carolina reported an enrollment of 10,829 students, placing it among large schools, in the range from 10,000 to 19,999. Of that total, 10,306 are undergraduates and only 523 are graduate students: above all, it is a school for four-year undergraduate study, not a graduate education center. Compared with similar schools, its size is among the most common: neither among the largest nor among the smallest.
A large school tells you nothing about class size. Ask about that separately, by field and by year.
How the calendar works and how broad the offerings are
The academic year at Coastal Carolina University is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The institution accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not indicate that it accepts credit for life experience. It also reports enrolling high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program, and it accepts credit for military training.
Here is advice that applies to any university, not just this one: saying that it accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam. These data do not tell us what score is required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits apply to your child’s exact field of study. Request the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not calculate the savings until you have it in hand.
Between July 2022 and June 2023, the university awarded 1,852 bachelor’s degrees across 22 families of fields. The largest was business and management, with 23 out of every 100 degrees—no other field surpassed it, but it did not account for the bulk of degrees either. The offerings are broad and distributed, not concentrated in a handful of fields. Still, 22 families with at least one reported row do not mean 22 distinct majors or guarantee that the specific program your child wants exists. Each family groups multiple programs, and a row may report no degrees awarded that year. Verify the exact program.
As for the student-to-faculty ratio, the reported ratio is 16 to 1. Compared with similar schools, it falls in the middle: neither among the lowest nor among the highest. This number by itself does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class. Once again, ask directly.
The university also reports structured academic pathways: study abroad, undergraduate research alongside coursework, teacher-certification preparation below the graduate level, and state approval for initial teacher-certification programs. These are opportunities listed in the institutional catalog; they do not indicate whether your child will qualify or how they work in practice.
How admission works: a door that opens for many
Here is one of the most important truths in this article, and it comes with nuances you cannot skip.
Coastal Carolina University does not have open admission. It reviews specific application components before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, four are required: the high school transcript, the high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory coursework required by the university, and an English-proficiency exam when applicable. Other components—class rank, the essay, letters of recommendation, and work experience—are not required, but the university considers them if submitted. The report does not say how much weight each carries in the final decision.
If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in Spanish, ask now whether the English-proficiency exam applies and what would qualify your child for an exemption. This university marks it as required when applicable, and it is one of those things families discover late, when there is no longer enough comfortable time to resolve it.
The application fee is $45.
Now for the figure people ask about most: of 18,223 first-time applicants in the 2023 cycle, 14,613 received an offer of admission. That is 80 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it is a common rate, ranking slightly below the midpoint of that group. Viewed the other way around, 3,610 applicants were not admitted. It is a high volume of applications, and even so, most receive a yes. Your child has reason to apply here. Your child also has reason to submit a complete application on time. And remember: this percentage comes from a single cycle. If many more students apply in your child’s year and the number of available places does not grow, the rate will fall on its own. Check it again when the time comes.
Here is the twist that surprises many families: out of every 100 students admitted, only 19 ultimately enrolled. The other 81 had a place here and did not take it. This is a common rate among similar schools, neither high nor low. Receiving an acceptance letter is not the same as deciding to attend, and that is not a mark against the school: the record does not explain why each person made that choice. What matters for you is this: other families’ decisions do not predict what the university will offer you. Wait for your letter with the actual net price—what the year would truly cost your family—before crossing this school off your list or confirming it.
Regarding standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not required here. If your child submits them, the university will consider them; if not, the application proceeds in the same way. Among those who enrolled, only 26 out of every 100 submitted an SAT score, and among them the middle half scored between 530 and 610 in reading and writing and between 520 and 600 in math. Those ranges describe students who had already enrolled and chose to submit their scores—not all applicants—and they do not prove that a score influenced anyone’s admission. 530 is not a minimum. 610 is not a guarantee.
When someone leaves: transfers
Here is a hard truth, stated plainly. Of the full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking class that entered in 2017, 33 out of every 100 transferred to another school without finishing at Coastal Carolina. This is a high share compared with similar schools: seven out of ten schools in that group had an equal or lower share transfer out. The report does not say why each person left.
And there is something almost no one sees but that matters greatly when comparing universities: a student who transfers does not count as a graduate of this school, even if the student completes a degree elsewhere. Keep that in mind when comparing graduation rates across universities. Many students leaving does not mean they did poorly here; the report records the move, not each person’s outcome.
On the other side, transfer enrollment is also high: 681 undergraduate students enrolled here for the first time in fall 2023 after having studied at another institution.
The sticker price, and why it is not the final word
At Coastal Carolina University, among 152 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district rate, and had EFC records showing family income below $30,000, the average net price was $9,222. Among 102 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $13,209; among 156 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $18,612. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (152 students) and the average for the highest-income band (156 students) is $9,390. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship, the average was $14,453.
The advertised price is not the same as the price paid. Here, for low-income students, the average net price was $9,222 in academic year 2022-23.
The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at this public institution, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average for students with grants or scholarships, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships; it also uses that rate. If your family lives outside the state or district, the calculation is different. Ask about it before applying.
The aid received and the debt incurred
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students here, 78 received a grant or other aid that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the yearly average was $11,639—that average is not spread across all students; it includes only those who received something.
The federal Pell Grant, reserved for families with demonstrated financial need, reached 28 out of every 100 students. That is a real gap: aid in general reaches most students, but aid based strictly on family income reaches fewer than one-third. That difference may include other federal, state, or institutional aid that this breakdown does not separate. Ask directly which programs make up that difference and what they require.
When your child’s financial-aid letter arrives, separate it yourself into three piles: what does not have to be repaid, what must be repaid with interest, and what must be earned through work. Many letters combine them in a single column, and that confusion is exactly where families miscalculate their budgets.
Regarding loans, 57 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan in academic year 2022-23. This is a high share compared with similar schools—seven out of ten schools in that group had an equal or lower share. Here, financing through debt is common. Among those who borrowed, the average amount each received that year was $6,551. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of four years, the total would be around $26,204, not including interest.
That figure is determined before the first signature, not at the end. And keep in mind: this average includes only federal loans in the student’s name for one year. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, debt from banks, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates—that figure is not in this report and must be calculated by adding each actual year.
This percentage describes other families, not yours. The amount your child would need to borrow comes from your child’s own financial-aid letter. Wait for that letter before ruling out the school and before committing to it. Coastal Carolina also reports offering an installment tuition-payment plan as an additional way to manage the expense.
Campus life, athletics, and support
Coastal Carolina University does have institution-controlled housing, with reported capacity for 5,199 students on or off campus. It does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there—which does not mean that no individual program has such a requirement. It also offers meal plans, with the number of meals varying according to the plan selected. The existence of housing does not guarantee an available bed; ask in writing for the year’s rate, the application deadline, and whether you are guaranteed a place or placed on a waiting list.
ROTC is available, and the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. The Navy and Air Force are not marked in this report—that does not mean they are unavailable; it means you need to ask directly. The report also does not confirm whether the program is conducted on this specific campus.
The university competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA, with reported participation in football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. If your child is interested in athletics, this does not say whether there is a place on the team, which division each sport competes in, or whether it awards athletic scholarships. Ask the coach directly, in writing.
It offers distance education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, although in the fall enrollment count only 2 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes remotely. The vast majority take at least one class in person. The institution also reports offering at least one complete distance program, without specifying whether it is undergraduate or graduate—that must be confirmed by field of study.
The library operates with paid staff, and its annual spending exceeded the $100,000 threshold tracked by the government. It has physical and digital materials, and it participates in interlibrary lending. That threshold is only a floor; it does not guarantee specific databases for your child’s field of study.
Reported services include combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, a transition program for students with intellectual disabilities, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a designated point of contact for veterans and members of the military, a student veterans organization, and a published webpage of services for people with disabilities. The presence of these services in the report does not indicate how effective they are or how your child will feel using them. That is something to learn through experience or by speaking with someone who has already used them.
Who stays and who finishes
This is probably the section where it is most worthwhile to slow down.
Of the full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking class that entered in fall 2022, 76 out of every 100 met the retention criterion: they were still enrolled here or had already completed their degree one year later. Compared with similar schools, this figure ranks slightly above the midpoint. More students stayed than left. But there are two things this number does not say: it counts only those who began as bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, and not enrolling again is not the same as dropping out of higher education. Someone who transferred to another university and is still studying there is counted the same as someone who stopped studying entirely.
Now for graduation. Of the full-time students who entered in 2017, 51 out of every 100 had a degree from this school six years later. At the four-year mark, the figure falls to 40 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it ranks below the midpoint of the group: more than half of those schools reported a higher share of graduates.
Put plainly, at six years it is nearly half and half. 51 out of every 100 from that class had a bachelor’s degree from here; 49 did not have one from here. The report counts outcomes; it does not explain each person’s reasons. Before deciding, ask what specific support the school offers and how long it actually takes to complete the particular program your child wants. And remember: this count does not include students who transferred in or those who began part-time.
There is a third measure, at eight years, for a broader cohort that entered in 2015-16: 54 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from here by that point. Among those who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 50 out of every 100, seven points below the figure for those who did not receive one. Compared with similar schools, it also ranks below the midpoint of the group.
This eight-year measure does not represent eight years of continuous study, how much each person paid, or how much each person gave up in earnings by taking longer. Before signing anything, ask in writing how long your child’s program takes to complete, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the path takes longer.
What this article can give you, and what it cannot
You now have a detailed understanding of one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: what Coastal Carolina University really is and offers, including its figures, conditions, and limitations. You still need to combine it with what your child wants and has built so far, and with what your family can and is willing to pay. An article like this cannot provide either of those two pieces, because only you and your child know them.
Your child’s role is to study, explore, choose a field, and take responsibility for their part of the journey. Your role is to understand the family’s finances, support the important decisions, and keep your child from carrying alone the burden of a system they are only beginning to understand. You do not need to go through the process for your child. Go through it with your child.
If you live in South Carolina, the resident rate and reported net price may bring this school closer within reach than the sticker price suggests. If you live out of state, the gap of nearly $18,000 per year deserves an honest conversation before anyone falls in love with the campus. If your child is just starting to build a list, ask what they want to study and how far away they can imagine living. If your child is about to apply, review the four required admission components together and confirm whether the English exam applies. And if your child has already been admitted, wait for the financial-aid letter before deciding anything: that figure, the one specific to your child, matters more than any average in this article.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and official reports from the U.S. Department of Education, primarily covering the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Coastal Carolina University or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help you understand it.