View source for College of Charleston

{{Short description|Public college in Charleston, South Carolina, US}}
{{Distinguish|text = the [[University of Charleston]] in Charleston, West Virginia}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox university
 | name                   = College of Charleston
 | image                  = CoCharleston seal.png
 | image_size             = 150
 | motto                  = ''Sapientia Ipsa Libertas'' ([[Latin]])<br />''Ædes Mores Juraque Curat'' ([[Latin]])
 | mottoeng               = "Wisdom Itself is Liberty"<br />"She Cares for Her Temples, Customs and Rights"
 | established            = {{start date and age|1770}}
 | type                   = [[Public university]]
 | president              = [[Andrew Hsu]]
 | city                   = [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]]
 | state                  = South Carolina
 | country                = United States
 | campus                 = Midsize city<ref>{{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=College+of+charleston&s=all&id=217819|title=IPEDS-College of Charleston}}</ref>
 | campus_size            = {{cvt|80|acre|km2}}
 | students               = 11,926 (fall 2024)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://charleston.edu/institutional-research/files/documents/common-data/enrollment-persistence.pdf |title=Common Data Set 2023-2024 {{!}} College of Charleston |website=charleston.edu}}</ref>
 | undergrad              = 10,880 (fall 2024)
 | postgrad               = 1,046 (fall 2024)
 | administrative_staff   = 899
 | endowment              = $145.16 million (2024)<ref name=endowment>{{cite web |url=https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2024-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-FINAL-Feb-12-2025.xlsx |title=U.S. and Canadian 2024 NCSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2024 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY23 to FY24, and FY24 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student |date=February 12, 2025 |publisher=National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) |access-date=February 12, 2025 |format=XLSX |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212074654/https://edge.sitecorecloud.io/nacubo1-nacubo-prd-dc8b/media/Nacubo/Documents/EndowmentFiles/2024-NCSE-Endowment-Market-Values-for-US-and-Canadian-Institutions-FINAL-Feb-12-2025.xlsx |archive-date=February 12, 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 | sporting_affiliations  = {{hlist|[[NCAA Division I]] – [[Colonial Athletic Association|CAA]]|[[Sun Belt Conference|Sun Belt]]|[[National Collegiate Equestrian Association|NCEA]]|[[South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association|SAISA]]}}
 | sports_nickname        = [[Charleston Cougars|Cougars]]
 | free_label             = Newspaper
 | free                   = ''The College Today''
 | mascot                 = [[Cougar]]
 | colors                 = Maroon and white<br />{{color box|#660000}}&nbsp;{{color box|#FFFFFF}}<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://marcomm.cofc.edu/brandmanual/bychapter/visualidentity/colorpalette.php |title=Color Palette - College of Charleston |access-date=2018-03-13 |archive-date=2018-03-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180313092901/http://marcomm.cofc.edu/brandmanual/bychapter/visualidentity/colorpalette.php |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 | accreditation          = [[Southern Association of Colleges and Schools|SACS]]
 | academic_affiliations  = {{hlist|[[Oak Ridge Associated Universities|ORAU]]|[[National Sea Grant College Program|Sea-grant]]|[[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program|Space-grant]]}}
 | website                = {{URL|https://cofc.edu/| cofc.edu}}
 | logo                   = College of Charleston.svg
 | logo_size             = 200
 | embedded               = {{Infobox NRHP
 | embed                = yes
 | name                 = College of Charleston
 | nrhp_type            = nhl
 | location             = Glebe, George, St. Philip and Green streets, [[Charleston, South Carolina]]
 | area                 = {{convert|4|acre|ha|1}}<ref name="nrhpinv2">{{cite journal|url={{NHLS url|id=71000748}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: College of Charleston Complex: Main Building, Library and Gate Lodge|date=August 1971 |format=PDF |author=Staff, National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=2009-06-22}} and {{NHLS url|id=71000748|title=''Accompanying four photos, exterior and interior, from 1970''|photos=y}}&nbsp;(1.43&nbsp;MB)</ref>
 | built                = 1827
 | architect            = [[Edward Brickell White|Edward B. White]]; George E. Walker
 | architecture         = Early Republic
 | designated_nrhp_type = November 11, 1971<ref name="nhlsum">{{cite web|url=http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1143&ResourceType=Building|title=College of Charleston|access-date=2008-03-19|work=National Historic Landmark summary listing|publisher=National Park Service|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023075913/http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=1143&ResourceType=Building|archive-date=2007-10-23|url-status=dead}}</ref>
 | added                = November 11, 1971<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2007a}}</ref>
 | refnum               = 71000748
 }}
}}

The '''College of Charleston''' ('''CofC''' or '''Charleston''') is a [[public university]] in [[Charleston, South Carolina]], United States. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in [[South Carolina]], the [[Colonial colleges|13th-oldest institution of higher learning]] in the United States, and the country's oldest [[municipal college]].

The founders of the College of Charleston included six [[Founding Fathers of the United States]], including three who signed the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]]: [[Thomas Heyward Jr.]], [[Arthur Middleton]], and [[Edward Rutledge]]; and three who signed the [[Constitution of the United States]]: [[Charles Pinckney (governor)|Charles Pinckney]], [[Charles Cotesworth Pinckney]], and [[John Rutledge]].

==History==
The College of Charleston was founded in 1770, making it the 13th-oldest institution of [[higher education]] and oldest [[municipal college]] in the nation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Brief History of the College - College of Charleston|url=http://www.cofc.edu/about/historyandtraditions/briefhistory.php|access-date=2017-08-16|website=www.cofc.edu|language=en}}</ref><ref>[[Municipal college]]; Easterby, J.H. (1935)"Appendix I: Charters and Other Documents in A History of the College of Charleston'', pp. 252. USA: The Scribner Press''</ref> The college's original structure, located at the site of what is now Randolph Hall, was designed similar to a [[barracks]]. In March 1785, the [[South Carolina General Assembly]] issued a [[charter]] to the college, which officially opened in 1790 and hosted its first commencement in 1794. The first president of the college was [[Robert Smith (bishop)|Robert Smith]], who served in the position from 1790 to 1797.

[[File:Sottile House 1892.PNG|thumb|left|230px|Sottile House in 1892]]
A second charter was issued by the general assembly in 1791 stipulating that the college would not discriminate on the basis of religion. During the [[Antebellum South|Antebellum era]], further development efforts in the college resulted in the construction of Randolph Hall and the President's House, both of which were built using [[Slavery in the United States|slave labor]].

In 1837, the Charleston municipal government assumed control over the college. During the mid-20th century, several [[African Americans]] attempted to apply to the [[Racial segregation in the United States|racially segregated]] college as part of the [[Double V campaign]] against [[racism in the United States]], but they were all rejected.

Though the college became a private institution to avoid being [[Racial integration|racially integrated]] during the [[civil rights movement]], black students were admitted starting in 1967 as a result of external pressure.<ref>Ileana Strauch and Katina Strauch,''The College History Series - College of Charleston''(Arcadia Publishing:Library of Congress Catalog Card: 00-106473) 2000 p6.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hansen |first=Victoria |date=2020-02-06 |url=https://www.southcarolinapublicradio.org/sc-news/2020-02-06/college-of-charleston-acknowledges-its-past-with-the-center-for-the-study-of-slavery |title=College of Charleston Acknowledges its Past with the Center for the Study of Slavery |website=South Carolina Public Radio |access-date=2023-01-14}}</ref>

==Academics==
{{Infobox US university ranking
| Forbes = 294
| THE_WSJ = 501–600
| USNWR_REG = 8
| Wamo_MASTERSU = 302
}}

The College of Charleston consists of eight academic schools, as well as the Honors College and the Graduate School.

*School of the Arts
*[[College of Charleston School of Business|School of Business]]
*School of Education
*School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics
*School of Health Sciences 
*School of Humanities and Social Sciences
*School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs
*School of Natural and Environmental Sciences
*Honors College
*Graduate School

===Bully Pulpit Series===
The Bully Pulpit Series is hosted jointly by the College of Charleston's School of Humanities & Social Sciences, Departments of Political Science and Communication. The series welcomes [[President of the United States|U.S. presidential]] candidates from the two major political parties to the campus.

In the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential campaign]], the series hosted Michael Bennet, [[Joe Biden]], Cory Booker, [[Pete Buttigieg]], [[Julian Castro]], John Delaney, [[Tulsi Gabbard]], [[Amy Klobuchar]], [[Beto O'Rourke]], [[Bernie Sanders]], Elizabeth Warren, and Andrew Yang.

=== Piccolo Spoleto Young Artist Series ===
Part of Charleston's annual Piccolo Spoleto Festival (May/June), our Piccolo Spoleto Young Artists Series features emerging artists in the area. These advanced College of Charleston students perform concerts ranging from classical and jazz ensembles to voice recitals and a new steel band.

==Campus==
The College of Charleston's main campus in downtown [[Charleston, South Carolina]], includes 156 buildings, a mix of modern and historic buildings built between 1770 and 2015. The average building is over 100 years old, and 20 buildings are under historic, protective easements. The College of Charleston downtown campus is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], as is [[William Blacklock House]].

Outside of downtown Charleston, the campus includes the Grice Marine Lab on James Island, the J. Stewart Walker Sailing Center and the Patriots Point Athletic Complex in Mount Pleasant and the {{convert|881|acre|ha|adj=on|abbr=}} Stono Preserve.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Behre|first=Robert|title=Nixing Dixie: College of Charleston renames its plantation 'Stono Preserve'|url=https://www.postandcourier.com/news/nixing-dixie-college-of-charleston-renames-its-plantation-stono-preserve/article_e13e578e-765c-11e9-99b4-bbebe736d5d0.html|access-date=2019-10-25|website=Post and Courier|date=May 15, 2019 |language=en}}</ref>

The College of Charleston was named [https://today.cofc.edu/2017/07/06/cofc-named-americas-most-beautiful-college-campus/ "America's Most Beautiful College Campus" by Travel + Leisure in 2017], a title it also held in 2019 as [https://today.cofc.edu/2019/08/21/cofc-named-most-beautiful-campus-in-south-carolina/ Country Living magazine's "Most Beautiful Campus" in the South]. More recently, [https://today.cofc.edu/2021/05/17/6-ways-to-live-your-best-life-at-cofc/ MSN named it the most beautiful campus in South Carolina] in 2021

The [[Mace Brown Museum of Natural History]] is a public natural history museum located on the campus. The collection's focus is on the paleontology of North American mammals, and specifically the [[South Carolina Lowcountry]]. The museum has more than 30,000 vertebrate and invertebrate fossils.<ref name="Azalea">{{cite news |title=Digging into the Past |url=https://issuu.com/azaleamagazine/docs/azalea_summer_2015_web/82 |access-date=June 24, 2021 |publisher=Azalea Summer 2015 |date=June 1, 2015}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights=100>
File:Randolph hall college of charleston.JPG|Randolph Hall, the college's oldest building 
File:College of Charleston campus, February 2014 - 7.jpg|College of Charleston campus 
file:Stern Center - 71 George (2020).jpg|Stern Center
file:Sottile Theatre, 44 George Street.jpg|Sottile Theatre
file:College of Charleston Multi-Cultural Center, Calhoun Street, Harleston Village, Charleston, SC (49363766633).jpg|Multi-Cultural Center
file:College of Charleston campus, February 2014 - 12.jpg|Campus
</gallery>

==Athletics==
{{main|Charleston Cougars}}
The institution's 19 varsity sports teams participate in the [[NCAA Division I]] [[Coastal Athletic Association]] and are known as the Cougars. The Cougars compete at a variety of athletics facilities in the Charleston area, including the [[TD Arena]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Whetzel |first=Melissa |url=http://news.cofc.edu/2011/08/23/college-td-bank-sign-naming-agreement-for-arena/ |title=College, TD Bank Sign Naming Agreement for Arena - College of Charleston News : College of Charleston News |publisher=News.cofc.edu |date=2011-08-23 |access-date=2014-08-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203034509/http://news.cofc.edu/2011/08/23/college-td-bank-sign-naming-agreement-for-arena/ |archive-date=2013-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> the J. Stewart Walker Sailing Complex, Johnson Center Squash Courts, Patriots Point Athletic Complex, White Horses, LLC and the Links at Stono Ferry.

College of Charleston athletics are supported by the College of Charleston Athletic Fund,<ref>{{Cite web|title=College of Charleston Athletic Fund|url=https://www.cofcathleticfund.com/about/cougar-club.html|access-date=2022-01-04|website=www.cofcathleticfund.com}}</ref> which was established in 1974. During the 1970–71 school year, College of Charleston students voted to change the nickname from the Maroons to the Cougars, in honor of a cougar that had recently arrived at the Charles Towne Landing Animal Forest. Clyde the Cougar is the current mascot.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cofcsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14800&ATCLID=205818527 |title=College of Charleston To Join Colonial Athletic Association, 11/30/2012 |access-date=2013-01-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203011922/http://www.cofcsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14800&ATCLID=205818527 |archive-date=2013-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The men's basketball team is ranked No. 6 for the highest winning percentage in NCAA Division I men's college basketball history.

==Greek life==
{| class="wikitable sortable"; text-align:; font-size:80%;"
|+ style="font-size:90%" |Undergraduate demographics as of Fall 2023<ref>{{cite web |title= College Scorecard: College of Charleston|url=https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/school/?217819-College-of-Charleston|website=College Scorecard |publisher=[[United States Department of Education]] |access-date=September 2, 2025}}</ref>
|-
! Race and ethnicity
! colspan="2" data-sort-type=number |Total
|-
| [[Non-Hispanic whites|White]]
|align=right| {{bartable|78|%|2||background:cyan}}
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]
|align=right| {{bartable|7|%|2||background:green}}
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
|align=right| {{bartable|5|%|2||background:purple}}
|-
| [[Multiracial Americans|Two or more races]]
|align=right| {{bartable|4|%|2||background:violet}}
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:orange}}
|-
| Unknown
|align=right| {{bartable|2|%|2||background:grey}} 
|-
| [[International student]]
|align=right| {{bartable|1|%|2||background:#008080}}
|-
! colspan="4" data-sort-type=number |[[Economic diversity]]
|-
| [[American lower class|Low-income]]{{efn|The percentage of students who received an income-based federal [[Pell grant]] intended for low-income students.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|21|%|2||background:red}}
|-
| [[Affluence in the United States|Affluent]]{{efn|The percentage of students who are a part of the [[American middle class]] at the bare minimum.}}
|align=right| {{bartable|79|%|2||background:black}}
|}
Greek life has been active on campus for 120 years. Currently, the college has 8 Panhellenic, 8 IFC and 8 NPHC fraternities and sororities.

==Notable alumni==
{{Main|List of College of Charleston people}}

==Notes==
{{noteslist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links == 
{{ccat}}
* {{oweb}}
* [https://cofcsports.com/ Athletics website]

{{College of Charleston}}
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[[Category:College of Charleston| ]]
[[Category:1770 establishments in South Carolina]]
[[Category:1785 establishments in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Colonial South Carolina]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1770]]
[[Category:Educational institutions established in 1788]]
[[Category:Education in Charleston County, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Historic American Buildings Survey in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Education in Charleston, South Carolina]]
[[Category:English-American culture in South Carolina]]
[[Category:National Historic Landmarks in South Carolina]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Charleston, South Carolina]]
[[Category:Public universities and colleges in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Universities and colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools]]
[[Category:University and college buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in South Carolina]]