“Educating the whole person — mind, body, and character”
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, is a state-supported senior military college founded in 1842, set on a storied campus along the Ashley River in historic Charleston, South Carolina. All 2,700 undergraduates are members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets — living in barracks, wearing uniforms, dining together in the mess hall, and following a structured daily regimen that builds discipline, leadership, and character. The college offers 38 majors across six schools: Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Humanities & Social Sciences, Science & Mathematics, and the Zucker Family School of Education. Strong STEM programs in Civil, Electrical, Computer, and Mechanical Engineering operate alongside acclaimed programs in Intelligence & Security Studies, Political Science, Criminal Justice, and Finance. The Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics anchors the institution's mission: producing principled leaders ready to serve in the military, government, business, and civic life. International students who join the Corps of Cadets enter a uniquely American 180-year tradition of honor and service — one of only six state-supported senior military colleges in the United States. The Citadel also offers graduate programs through The Citadel Graduate College. Graduates consistently earn above-average salaries, with 10-year median earnings of $58,200, ranking Citadel #1 in career pay among South Carolina public colleges.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourceThe deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$12,570 – $36,656
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$39,081 – $61,838
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
Four departments covering Civil & Environmental Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Engineering Leadership & Program Management, and Mechanical Engineering, with strong industry outcomes.
Comprehensive business education covering management, finance, marketing, and logistics with a leadership focus, integrating the cadet honor code into professional ethics training.
Rigorous programs in biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and physics, with a STEM Center of Excellence supporting undergraduate research.
Home to Intelligence & Security Studies, Political Science, Criminal Justice, History, and Psychology — programs that feed directly into government, military, and law careers.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $38,508
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
