Citadel Military College of South Carolina
About
The Citadel Military College of South Carolina is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges in the United States. The Citadel was initially established as two schools to educate young men from around the state, while simultaneously protecting the South Carolina State Arsenals in both Columbia and Charleston.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 61 Title IV programs, 15 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 46 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing15 · 24.6%
- No Data46 · 75.4%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Programmatic accreditations · 2
Action history · 3
- Dec 2024Renewal of AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
- Apr 2024Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- Dec 2014Renewal of AccreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 711 students received $4.3M in Pell grants, alongside $20.2M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 811 borrowers who entered repayment, 11 (1.3%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Citadel
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 10
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus8
- Public property4
Includes 4 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Citadel vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Citadel selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectCitadel Military College of South Carolina | 75% | — | 3,793 | $20,723 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| 66% | 60.0% | 11,926 | $18,960 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs | |
| 91% | 13.4% | 1,869 | $17,379 | Baccalaureate | |
| 84% | 66.3% | 7,239 | $41,555 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 79% | 42.9% | 2,554 | $30,308 | Baccalaureate | |
| 55% | 87.9% | 27,423 | $15,267 | R2 Research | |
| 80% | 71.5% | 22,740 | $23,322 | R2 Research | |
| 60% | 74.4% | 3,149 | $22,257 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 75% | 47.5% | 3,046 | $34,732 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 62% | 71.6% | 3,775 | $19,372 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 50% | 81.1% | 11,775 | $14,265 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 88% | 14.1% | 4,114 | — | Baccalaureate | |
| 87% | 12.5% | 4,473 | — | Baccalaureate | |
| 93% | 9.3% | 4,474 | — | Baccalaureate | |
| 66% | 79.8% | 3,826 | $20,667 | Baccalaureate | |
| 56% | 88.5% | 18,012 | $10,965 | R2 Research | |
| 50% | 67.9% | 19,291 | $9,823 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 76% | 71.2% | 1,527 | $17,113 | Baccalaureate | |
| 60% | 81.8% | 11,686 | $13,315 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 57% | 79.3% | 4,894 | $15,343 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 84% | 51.9% | 1,817 | $18,732 | Baccalaureate | |
| Peer group median | 75% | 69.6% | 4,473 | $18,846 |
Institutions like Citadel
Explore the federal data for institutions in Citadel's comparison group.
- Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsSouth Carolina
College of Charleston
Grad rate66%Admit rate60.0%Enrollment11,926Net price$18,960View data - BaccalaureateNorth Carolina
Davidson College
Grad rate91%Admit rate13.4%Enrollment1,869Net price$17,379View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNorth Carolina
Elon University
Grad rate84%Admit rate66.3%Enrollment7,239Net price$41,555View data - BaccalaureateSouth Carolina
Furman University
Grad rate79%Admit rate42.9%Enrollment2,554Net price$30,308View data - R2 ResearchGeorgia
Georgia Southern University
Grad rate55%Admit rate87.9%Enrollment27,423Net price$15,267View data - R2 ResearchVirginia
James Madison University
Grad rate80%Admit rate71.5%Enrollment22,740Net price$23,322View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsVermont
Norwich University
Grad rate60%Admit rate74.4%Enrollment3,149Net price$22,257View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsFlorida
Rollins College
Grad rate75%Admit rate47.5%Enrollment3,046Net price$34,732View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsFlorida
Stetson University
Grad rate62%Admit rate71.6%Enrollment3,775Net price$19,372View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalTennessee
The University of Tennessee-Chattanooga
Grad rate50%Admit rate81.1%Enrollment11,775Net price$14,265View data - BaccalaureateColorado
United States Air Force Academy
Grad rate88%Admit rate14.1%Enrollment4,114Net price—View data - BaccalaureateNew York
United States Military Academy
Grad rate87%Admit rate12.5%Enrollment4,473Net price—View data - BaccalaureateMaryland
United States Naval Academy
Grad rate93%Admit rate9.3%Enrollment4,474Net price—View data - BaccalaureateVirginia
University of Mary Washington
Grad rate66%Admit rate79.8%Enrollment3,826Net price$20,667View data - R2 ResearchNorth Carolina
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Grad rate56%Admit rate88.5%Enrollment18,012Net price$10,965View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsGeorgia
University of North Georgia
Grad rate50%Admit rate67.9%Enrollment19,291Net price$9,823View data - BaccalaureateVirginia
Virginia Military Institute
Grad rate76%Admit rate71.2%Enrollment1,527Net price$17,113View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNorth Carolina
Western Carolina University
Grad rate60%Admit rate81.8%Enrollment11,686Net price$13,315View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsSouth Carolina
Winthrop University
Grad rate57%Admit rate79.3%Enrollment4,894Net price$15,343View data - BaccalaureateSouth Carolina
Wofford College
Grad rate84%Admit rate51.9%Enrollment1,817Net price$18,732View data
Citadel Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research serves as a comprehensive source of information about The Citadel, providing high-quality data and insightful analyses to inform and support the college.
Visit IR office page- Pam KingDirector of Institutional Research
- Cara DombroskiData and Reporting Analyst
- Kelley KinneyData and Reporting Analyst
Research funding
External research funding from NSF, NIH, HERD, and federal spending sources.
Common Data Set
Citadel's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planOur Mighty Citadel 20262026Our Mighty Citadel 2026 is The Citadel's strategic plan designed to guide the institution into the future while honoring its 177-year history. It focuses on enhancing academic programming, fostering community engagement, and incorporating athletics and infrastructure planning into its initiatives. The plan, endorsed by President Glenn M. Walters, seeks to maintain The Citadel's mission of developing principled leaders and includes projects such as the completion of Bastin Hall and enhancement of engineering and biology facilities.citadel.edu
Frequently asked questions about Citadel Military College of South Carolina
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Citadel.
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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