1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Coastal Carolina University](/school/coastal-carolina-university/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # Coastal Carolina University Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/coastal-carolina-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/coastal-carolina-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/coastal-carolina-university/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/coastal-carolina-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/coastal-carolina-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at Coastal Carolina University? Coastal Carolina University’s reported acceptance rate is 75.3%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2024** 75.3% Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2024-25 **Applicants** 21,028 **Admitted** 15,828 Source: Coastal Carolina University Common Data Set 2024-25, C1 · first-time, first-year students. How to interpret the acceptance rate Coastal Carolina University admitted 75.3% of applicants, so most people in the reported applicant pool received an admission decision. The rate is below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 21,028 first-year applicants and admitted 15,828 of them. ## What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled Coastal Carolina University students report? In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, Coastal Carolina University reported a 3.80 average high-school GPA for enrolled first-year students who provided one. That figure is a mean and not a requirement for admission. Only 23% of enrolled first-year students submitted SAT scores and 8% submitted ACT scores, so the ranges below reflect a small slice of the entering class. For enrolled SAT submitters, the span from 1070 to 1210 captures the central half of scores. The ACT span for enrolled submitters runs from 21 to 26. Among enrolled first-year students with a reported class rank, 13% placed in the upper tenth of their high-school class and 38% placed in the upper quarter. Applicants should compare their own SAT results with the university’s 1070 to 1210 range. They should also compare their ACT results with the 21 to 26 range. These ranges capture only enrolled students who chose to submit test scores. The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at Coastal Carolina University. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle. **23% of entering students submitted SAT scores** SAT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 1070 **Median** 1140 **75th percentile** 1210 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. **8% of entering students submitted ACT scores** ACT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 21 **Median** 23 **75th percentile** 26 CDS 2024-25 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. Source: Coastal Carolina University Common Data Set 2024-25, C9 · Enrolled first-time, first-year score submitters. ## Who enrolls at Coastal Carolina University? **Pell Grant recipients** 26.2% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 21.1% **First-year retention** 77.4% Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention. About these student measures The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns. Coastal Carolina University draws undergraduates through both first-time entry and transfer routes, with Pell Grant recipients also part of its enrollment. In its 2024-25 Common Data Set, the university reported 2,162 degree-seeking transfer applicants, of whom 1,300 were admitted and 711 enrolled. Federal enrollment figures list 10,377 undergraduates. Pell Grants reach 26.2% of undergraduates, and an estimated 21.1% enter as transfers or part-time students. Those measures describe a student body that includes grant-aided undergraduates alongside people continuing college work begun elsewhere. For the first-time full-time cohort, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 48.5%, below the middle value of 65.0% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Pell recipients in that cohort have a six-year completion rate of 49.8%, above the overall rate by 1.3 percentage points. First-year retention, the share of full-time bachelor’s-seeking first-year students who return, is 77.4%, compared with 83.1% as the middle value for comparable institutions. Enrolled students can expect these rates to describe cohort patterns for returning and completing, rather than an individual timetable. Both schoolwide measures are below the middle values for comparable institutions, while Pell completion is above the overall completion rate. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).