Shorter vs. CofC

Should I go to Shorter University or College of Charleston? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Shorter or CofC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

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Shorter University vs. College of Charleston comparison
Shorter University College of Charleston College 3 College 4
Shorter University College of Charleston
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Overview

Shorter CofC
Location Rome, GA Charleston, SC
Setting Small City Midsize City
Enrollment 1,515 10,885
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #872 #428
Religious Affiliation Baptist - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website shorter.edu cofc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Shorter CofC
Tuition (In State) $22,380 $12,518
Tuition (Out of State) $22,380 $35,338
Room & Board $9,400 $12,986
Avg Net Price $13,490 $21,120
Avg Grant Aid $20,057 $9,499
% Receiving Grant Aid 100% 100%

Admission

Shorter CofC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 871 22,020
Admitted 849 16,666
Acceptance Rate 97.5% 75.7%
Enrolled % 31.4% 13.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.25 3.94
Typical High School Grades B A-
Admissions Standards Average Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 17/25 24/30
SAT Range 960/1290 1130/1300
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Aug 25, 2025 Jan 15, 2025

Academics

Shorter CofC
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 16:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Biology (9%)

Outcomes

Shorter CofC
Graduation Rate 47% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,300 $46,200
Making Student Loan Payments 38% 60%
Median Student Loan Debt $28,418 $21,500
Median Loan Payment $293 $222

Diversity

Shorter CofC
% Men 44% 32%
% Women 56% 68%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 62% 80%
% Black 24% 7%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 4% 1%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Shorter CofC
% In-State 84% 44%
% Out-of-State 15% 54%

Campus

Shorter CofC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • College of Charleston is larger than than Shorter based on total student enrollment (10,885 students vs. 1,515 students)

Shorter vs. CofC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Shorter or CofC?

  • Shorter University is 78.8% more expensive to attend than CofC for in-state tuition ($22,380.00 vs. $12,518.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 57.9% higher at CofC than Shorter University ($35,338.00 vs. $22,380.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Shorter University than CofC ($13,490 vs. $21,120)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Shorter University are 38.1% lower than costs at College of Charleston ($9,400 vs. $12,986)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Shorter University as College of Charleston (100% vs. 100%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Shorter University students is 111.1% larger than aid received College of Charleston ($20,057 vs. $9,499)

Shorter vs. CofC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Shorter or CofC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CofC or Shorter .

  • The average SAT score at College of Charleston (1141) is 172 points higher than at Shorter (969)
  • Incoming CofC students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Shorter (21)
  • Accepted freshman CofC students have a 0.69 point higher average high school GPA (3.94) than students at Shorter (3.25)
  • Shorter has a higher acceptance rate (97.5%) than CofC (75.7%)

Shorter vs. CofC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Shorter or CofC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between CofC and Shorter.

  • The graduation rate at CofC is higher than Shorter University (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Shorter University earn on average $3,100 more per year than CofC graduates after ten years. ($49,300 vs. $46,200)
  • College of Charleston students graduate with a $6,918 lower median federal student loan debt than Shorter graduates. ($21,500 vs. $28,418)
  • CofC graduates are paying $71 less per month on federal student loans than Shorter graduates. ($222 vs. $293)
  • More CofC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Shorter students, three years after graduation. (60% vs. 38%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/