U.S. News & World Report Ranks College of Charleston a Top University for 11th Consecutive Year
The university climbed one spot each to capture both the No. 3 Top Public Schools Regional Universities (South) and No. 8 Overall Rank - Regional Universities (South).
For the 11th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report has recognized the College of Charleston as a top public regional university in the South.
The 2027 edition of U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings cited the College of Charleston in five categories:
| 2027 School Rankings | 2026 School Rankings |
|---|---|
| No. 3 Top Public Schools – Regional Universities (South) | No. 4 Top Public Schools – Regional Universities (South) |
| No. 4 in Best Colleges for Veterans – Regional Universities (South) | No. 5 in Best Colleges for Veterans – Regional Universities (South) |
| No. 5 in Most Innovative Schools – Regional Universities (South) (tied) | No. 15 in Most Innovative Schools – Regional Universities (South) (tied) |
| No. 8 Regional Universities (South) (tied) | No. 9 Regional Universities (South) (tied) |
| No. 8 in Best Value Schools for In-State Students – Regional Universities (South) | Not ranked – New category in 2027 |
Several of the College’s academic programs and its innovative first-year programming were also recognized in the rankings:
| 2027 Academic Programs Rankings | 2026 Academic Programs Rankings |
|---|---|
| No. 4 in Undergraduate Teaching Programs – Regional Universities (South) | No. 4 in Undergraduate Teaching Programs – Regional Universities (South) |
| No. 60 in First-Year Experiences (tied) | Not ranked – New category in 2027 |
| No. 123 in Undergraduate Engineering Programs (Non-Doctorate) (tied) | Not ranked – New category in 2027 |
| No. 129 in Undergraduate Psychology Programs (tied) | No. 235 Undergraduate Psychology (tied) |
| No. 176 in Undergraduate Business Programs (tied) | No. 194 in Undergraduate Business Programs |
| No. 257 in Undergraduate Computer Science Programs (tied) | No. 294 in Undergraduate Computer Science Programs |
“This year’s rankings validate what our campus community experiences every day: extraordinary teaching, ongoing innovation and a student experience focused on well-being and belonging,” says President Andrew T. Hsu. “I am particularly proud of our double-digit jumps in key academic programs, which show that our commitment to academic quality, career readiness, workforce development and student success is producing real-world results.”
‘U.S. News & World Report’ evaluated more than 1,700 U.S. colleges and universities, using up to 17 factors to measure academic quality and graduate success.
