College of Charleston GPA requirements & acceptance rate
Average GPA, acceptance rate and SAT/ACT ranges for College of Charleston, all from its own Common Data Set 2025-26, plus a quick estimate of your chances.
What are my chances at College of Charleston?
Enter your unweighted GPA to see an estimate.
What GPA do you need to get into College of Charleston?
College of Charleston’s own Common Data Set (2025-26, item C12) reports an average high school GPA of 3.96 for its enrolled first-year students who submitted a GPA (100% of them submitted one). It is an average, not a cut-off: many enrolled students were below it. The CDS does not say whether the figure is weighted, so treat it as a guide rather than a target. Source: College of Charleston Common Data Set 2025-26, item C12.
Plenty of enrolled students were below the 3.96 average, especially those with a strong upward trend, a demanding course load, or test scores near the top of the range. Use the estimator above to see where you stand.
College of Charleston acceptance rate
College of Charleston’s Common Data Set 2025-26 (item C1) reports 32,326 first-time, first-year applicants for fall 2025 and 23,597 admitted, an acceptance rate of 73%. That makes College of Charleston moderately selective — reasonably attainable for solid students. GPA is only one piece: College of Charleston also weighs the rigor of your courses, essays, recommendations and activities, and test scores where it considers them.
College of Charleston SAT and ACT scores
The middle 50% of College of Charleston’s enrolled first-year students who submitted scores had SAT 1160–1300 and ACT 23–29 (25th to 75th percentile, Common Data Set 2025-26, item C9). A score at or above the 75th percentile puts you in the top quarter of enrolled students who reported one.
| Test | 25th | 50th | 75th | Submitted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SAT composite | 1160 | 1220 | 1300 | 19% |
| ACT composite | 23 | 27 | 29 | 9% |
College of Charleston admissions at a glance
| First-year applicants (fall 2025) | 32,326 |
| Admitted | 23,597 |
| Acceptance rate | 73% |
| Average high school GPA | 3.96 |
| Submitted a GPA | 100% |
| SAT composite, 25th–75th | 1160–1300 |
| ACT composite, 25th–75th | 23–29 |
| Common Data Set year | 2025-26 |
Source: College of Charleston Common Data Set 2025-26 · College of Charleston’s Common Data Set page, items C1 (applicants and admits), C9 (SAT/ACT) and C12 (GPA), read October 2026. Every figure on this page comes from the college’s own Common Data Set; none is from a third-party website.
Estimate your odds
The estimator above starts from College of Charleston’s acceptance rate and moves it up or down with your GPA and SAT. It is a rough guide, not a prediction: it does not see your essays, course rigor or major. To plan the grades you need, try the college GPA calculator and the target GPA planner.
How to strengthen your application
Beyond the GPA range, focus on what you can still move: take the most challenging courses your school offers, keep your grades trending upward, prepare for the SAT or ACT if College of Charleston considers them, and write essays that show genuine fit.