Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPublic

Coastal Carolina University

Conway, South Carolina·Public, 4-year or above·Southeast·coastal.edu
6-yr Graduation
48%
-8.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Total enrollment
11,348
peer median 9,988
Avg net price
$13,742
-$1.1k vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Use this data
Ask Clema

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

Applied
21,028
21,028 candidates competed
Admitted
15,828
75.3% acceptance rate
Enrolled
2,677
16.9% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
48%-8.0pp vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
4-year graduation
37%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
48%
Full-time retention
77%

Pell equity

10.0pp gap
Pell recipients
40%
Non-Pell
50%

Non-Pell students graduate at a 10.0-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 81 Title IV programs, 38 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 43 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
81
Passing
38
46.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

81programs
  • Passing38 · 46.9%
  • No Data43 · 53.1%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
2
Watch
4
Safe
32
No data
43

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.

38
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+2.9%
$33,962 vs $32,989
Fine and Studio Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+9.1%
$36,007 vs $32,989
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+14.3%
$37,707 vs $32,989
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+16.6%
$38,460 vs $32,989
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
+19.3%
$50,580 vs $42,400
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+21.7%
$40,150 vs $32,989
Educational/Instructional Media Design
Master's Degree · Education
+31.2%
$55,622 vs $42,400
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+31.8%
$67,954 vs $51,545

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+2.9%
+$973

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

34
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
80%
$27,000 debt · $33,962 earn
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
69%
$26,000 debt · $37,707 earn
Teacher Education and Professional Development Specific Levels and Methods
Master's Degree · Education
66%
$33,144 debt · $50,580 earn
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Bachelor Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
63%
$24,250 debt · $38,460 earn
Design and Applied Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
62%
$25,000 debt · $40,150 earn
Biochemistry Biophysics and Molecular Biology
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
58%
$27,000 debt · $46,896 earn
Ecology Evolution Systematics and Population Biology
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
57%
$26,000 debt · $45,323 earn
Public Health
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
56%
$26,978 debt · $48,238 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Accredited since 1976Next review Dec 2032

Programmatic accreditations · 6

Action history · 17

  1. Sep 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  2. Aug 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc. — May 6, 2013 Formerly: National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission · Nursing (NUR) - Baccalaureate program
  3. Feb 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  4. Jul 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
  5. Jun 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$9,222
$30–48k$9,749
$48–75k$13,209
$75–110k$17,527
$110k+$18,612

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$13,742
-$1,106vs Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs median $14,848
Federal loans
57.4%
In-state tuition
$11,640
Out-of-state
$29,628

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 3,383 students received $18.9M in Pell grants, alongside $75.7M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
3,383
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$18.9M
$18,927,978 total
Direct Loans
$75.7M
11,816 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

3k
20
3k
21
3k
22
3k
23
3k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$16.8M
4,169 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$22.4M
5,974 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$3.2M
204 loan awards
Parent PLUS$33.2M
1,446 loan awards
Grad PLUS$236K
23 loan awards

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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 2,894 borrowers who entered repayment, 90 (3.1%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
3.1%
+0.8pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
2,894
Defaulted
90
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
8.3%
2017
7.2%
2018
8.1%
2019
3.1%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* 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.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Coastal Carolina

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs83
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

1,804 total completions
01Business
49427.4%
02Parks/Recreation
25614.2%
03Biological Sciences
23813.2%
04Education
21311.8%
05Communication
1458.0%
06Psychology
1226.8%
07Visual/Performing Arts
995.5%
08Social Sciences
854.7%
09Health Professions
844.7%
10Military Tech
683.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
11,348
12-mo unduplicated
11,733
Undergraduate
10,986
Graduate
747

Gender split

Men
45%5,233
Women
55%6,500

Race / ethnicity composition

White
66.3%
Unknown
11.9%
Black
10.5%
Hispanic
5.9%
Two or more
3.5%
Asian
0.9%
Non-resident
0.8%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

Athletes
492
271 M · 221 W
Women athletes
44.9%
Athletic aid
$10.1M
Total student aid
Budget
$43.5M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$6.3M
$3.9M
Recruiting expense
$865K
$251K
Head-coach salaries
$430K
$106K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 11

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
52 M · 107 W
$1.7M
Football
121 M ·
$17.3M
Soccer
34 M · 38 W
$2.2M
Baseball
44 M ·
$3.8M
Lacrosse
· 38 W
$1.2M
Basketball
15 M · 14 W
$5.1M

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
1.35
14 offenses · 10,337 students

3-year trend

1.192 yrs ago0.951 yr ago1.35Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
36
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
16
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
34

Criminal offenses by type

Rape
9
Aggravated assault
4
Burglary
1

By location

14total
  • On campus14

Includes 8 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

1
Domestic violence
3
Dating violence
0
Stalking
4 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons32
Drugs1446
Liquor22385

Residence-hall fires

  • Elm Hall1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Oak Hall1 fire
    ElectricalDamage $100-$999
  • Blue Ridge I1 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Piedmont H1 fire
    Smoking materialsDamage $1,000-$9,999
  • Ronald G. Eaglin Hall3 fires
    Open flamesDamage $100-$999
  • Ronald G. Eaglin Hall3 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Ronald G. Eaglin Hall3 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Tradition Hall 22 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Tradition Hall 22 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Teal Hall 21 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Teal Hall 31 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Pat Singleton-Young Hall 11 fire
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Pat Singleton-Young Hall 22 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999
  • Pat Singleton-Young Hall 22 fires
    CookingDamage $100-$999

Data quality: 4 reports were later determined unfounded across the reporting period and are excluded from the totals above.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

Student-to-faculty
17.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
509

Coastal Carolina vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Coastal Carolina selected for federal comparison reporting.

GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

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
SubjectCoastal Carolina University
48%11,348$13,742Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Winthrop University
57%79.3%4,894$16,353Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Citadel Military College of South Carolina
75%22.7%3,793$21,002Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Austin Peay State University
39%96.4%10,439$14,846Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Murray State University
64%85.7%10,020$9,121Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Jacksonville State University
55%77.7%9,955$14,850Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median56%79.3%9,988$14,848

Frequently asked questions about Coastal Carolina University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Coastal Carolina.

What is the graduation rate at Coastal Carolina University?

Coastal Carolina University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 48% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Coastal Carolina University?

Coastal Carolina University reports a total enrollment of 11,348 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Coastal Carolina University?

The average net price at Coastal Carolina University is $13,742 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Coastal Carolina University?

Coastal Carolina University's yield rate is 16.9%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Coastal Carolina University located?

Coastal Carolina University is located in Conway, South Carolina 29526.

Have a question this page can’t answer?

Ask Clema anything about Coastal Carolina University and its peers — plain language in, cited answers out, in minutes instead of days.

Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card