Mark Dreyfus, President | ECPI University
Mark Dreyfus, President | ECPI University
Of the 14 institutions in the county, five provided detailed enrollment data at the time, including Citadel Military College of South Carolina, College of Charleston and American College of the Building Arts.
At least 29,386 people applied to Charleston County colleges in the 2022-23 school year.
NCES data shows that among them, around 33,867 students enrolled in the universities, including 28,471 in undergraduate and 5,396 in graduate programs. In total 6.3% of undergraduates transferred from another college or university.
The reported undergraduate student body is comprised mostly of white (63.9%) and Black or African American (16.9%) students.
Among the institutions that provided disclosed enrollment data, Trident Technical College stood out with the largest enrollment at the time, welcoming 11,789 students.
U.S. college enrollment has been in a downward trend since peaking at around 18.1 million students in 2010. Recent increases offered some relief, but experts project a steeper decline in 2025.
This decline is likely due to two main factors. First, the pool of young adults is shrinking as birth rates have fallen nearly 23% between 2007 and 2022. Second, the rising cost of higher education, including skyrocketing student loan debt. A 2023 Wall Street Journal report shows that more than half of Americans think a four-year degree is not worth the cost.
NCES shows that enrollment data was not available for three institutions in Charleston County, including ECPI University-Charleston, Charleston School of Law and Strayer University-Charleston Campus.
Some educational data is based on estimates. Shifting demographics among student populations can sometimes result in gender totals which do not equal 100%.
| Institution | # of Applicants | # of Admitted Students | Total Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern College-Charleston | 116 | 110 | 196 |
| Charleston School of Law | -- | -- | -- |
| Top of the Line Barber College | -- | -- | 52 |
| Strayer University-Charleston Campus | -- | -- | -- |
| ECPI University-Charleston | -- | -- | -- |
| Charleston Southern University | 4,967 | 4,321 | 3,418 |
| Medical University of South Carolina | -- | -- | 3,175 |
| Miller-Motte College-Charleston | -- | -- | 174 |
| College of Charleston | 22,020 | 16,735 | 10,885 |
| Trident Technical College | -- | -- | 11,789 |
| Paul Mitchell the School-Charleston | -- | -- | 284 |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | 2,253 | 2,230 | 3,721 |
| American College of the Building Arts | 30 | 23 | 141 |
| Vski Cosmetology School | -- | -- | 32 |
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