Charleston Southern University: Fast Facts For Future Buccaneers

Get to know Charleston Southern, one of the jewels of South Carolina's Lowcountry.

Looking for a campus that blends academic excellence with a clear sense of purpose? Charleston Southern University (CSU) is the Lowcountry's only faith-based university, focused on integrating faith in learning, leading, and serving—and preparing servant leaders to pursue significant lives.

Charleston Southern University in a nutshell

• Founded: 1964
• Enrollment: 4,000+
• 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio
• More than 60 undergraduate, 20 graduate, and two doctoral programs
• CSU awarded more than $103 million in financial aid for academic year 2024-2025

Hands-on learning, built in

At CSU, every student gains real-world experiences through experiential learning requirements. The university also uses a passport-style model to depict progression through the college years:

• first-year students discover their passion
• second-year students design their pathway
• third-year students develop their potential, and
• fourth-year students declare their purpose.

Campus life and community impact in the Lowcountry

CSU competes in NCAA Division I athletics with 16 teams, while still offering the advantages of a small university. Students are also encouraged to serve: CSU packed more boxes for Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child than any other university in the U.S., with totals rising from 5,249 (2019) to 13,670 (2024).

CSU is located in the historic Lowcountry region near South Carolina's beautiful beaches. Charleston has been named the No. 1 City in the U.S. 12 years in a row by Travel + Leisure magazine. CSU also has nearly a quarter of a billion-dollar economic impact annually in South Carolina (Economic Impact Study, Lilly Consulting Group, 2025).

Get a feel for life in Charleston in this short YouTube video:

Opportunities and recognitions

Opportunities found only at CSU include South Carolina's only collegiate aeronautics program, plus specialized centres such as the Center for Global Leadership and Ministry, the CSU Center for Chaplaincy, the Community Research Institute, the Center for Personal Financial Management, and the Whitfield Center for Christian Leadership.

CSU is well-respected across the United States. National recognitions include seven wins from U.S. News & World Report for Nursing, Physical Assistant, and online business, plus the Washington Monthly's Best Bang for the Buck (Southeast), Niche.com Safest College Campuses in S.C., Purple Heart University, and more.

No matter how you slice it, CSU is an exciting place to be! Whether in person or online, just starting out or jumping back in, you will thrive in our strong and supportive learning community. Charleston Southern is a welcoming, friendly Christian university, intentional about helping students build strong relationships and grow their faith.

Ready to get started? Explore academics at Charleston Southern University today.