Class of 2023 Freshman Profile

With the dawn of another academic year on the horizon, a new class of students will join the Cougars’ ranks this fall. This year’s incoming students in the Class of 2023 hail from across the country and around the globe, bringing with them a host of unique experiences that are sure to enrich the College of Charleston campus for years to come.

Get to know the Class of 2023 with these facts and figures:

Class of 2023: By the Numbers*

Number of freshmen: 2,091

Number of students in Charleston Bridge Program: 135

Number of students in iCharleston: 77

Number of states: 44, along with DC, and overseas military bases

Number of countries represented (excluding U.S.): 10

Number of students from one state other than S.C.: 135, North Carolina

Number of miles traveled to the College of Charleston by the student from the farthest away (Melbourne, Australia): 9,914

Highest ACT Score: 35

Highest SAT Score: 1550

Highest GPA: 5.98

Number of high schools represented: 939

Class of 2023: A Closer Look

Most common predominantly female students’ names: Caroline, Emma, Elizabeth

Most common predominantly male students’ names: William, Andrew, James

Top names that males and females share: Taylor, Ryan, Jordan

Most popular birth month: January (195 students)

Most popular birthdate: 12/28/2000 and 12/29/2000, (12 students each)

Largest South Carolina feeder high schools: Wando High School (59), Fort Mill High School (28), James Island Charter High School (28), West Ashley High School (20), Ashley Ridge High School (18), Hilton Head Island High School (18), Lexington High School (18), River Bluff High School (17), James L. Mann High School (15), Bishop England High School (14), Cane Bay High School (14), Nation Ford High School (14), Summerville High School (14)

Largest out-of-state feeder high schools: Myers Park High School, North Carolina (12); Ramapo High School, New Jersey (10); Darien High School, Connecticut (7); Episcopal School of Jacksonville, Florida (6); Gonzaga College High School, Washington, D.C. (6); Lake Forest High School, Illinois (6); Marvin Ridge High School, North Carolina (6); Unionville High School, Pennsylvania (6); Winston Churchill High School, Maryland (6); Archmere Academy, Delaware (5); Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School, Florida (5); Charlotte Catholic High School, North Carolina (5); Charlotte Country Day School, North Carolina (5); Fox Lane High School, New York (5); Red Bank Catholic High School, New Jersey (5); Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School, New Jersey (5); Staples High School, Connecticut (5); Westfield High School, New Jersey (5)

Most popular South Carolina hometowns: Charleston (88), Mount Pleasant (65), Summerville (54), Columbia (48), Fort Mill (44), Myrtle Beach (41), Greenville (40), Lexington (34), Rock Hill (30), Bluffton (27), Greer (24), Simpsonville (23)

Most popular out of state hometowns: Charlotte, North Carolina (41); Potomac, Maryland (11);Atlanta, Georgia (11); Cincinnati, Ohio (9); Waxhaw, North Carolina (8); Wyckoff, New Jersey (8); Birmingham, Alabama (8); Wilmington, North Carolina (8); Marietta, Georgia (7); Jacksonville, Florida (7); Darien, Connecticut (7); Bethesda, Maryland (7)

Countries represented: Australia, Brazil, Bahamas, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Panama, Sweden, United Kingdom

8 sets of twins

Most popular intended majors: biology (257), undecided (257), business administration (206), psychology (189), marine biology (99), marketing (85), computer science (81), communication (76), political science (63), exercise science (56)

Class of 2023: Academic Profile*

The middle 50 percent of freshmen enrolled for fall 2019:

Scored between 1080–1260 (in state) and 1110–1270 (out of state) on the SAT

Scored between 21–28 (in state) and 23–29 (out of state) on the ACT

Had a GPA between 4.087–4.678 (SC Uniform Grading Scale) and 3.3–4.03 (weighted)

13 in-state valedictorians and 19 in-state salutatorians

5 out-of-state valedictorians and 3 out-of-state salutatorians

Palmetto Fellows: More than 134

Honors College: Class of 2023 Academic Profile

Total number of students: 266

Average SAT score: 1360

Average ACT score: 30

Average GPA – S.C. residents: 4.82

Average GPA – non-residents: 4.12

Number of S.C. residents: 126

Number of non-residents: 140

Honors College: Aiken Fellows Society Class of 2023 Profile

Total number of members: 30

Average SAT score: 1435

Average ACT score: 32

Average GPA – S.C. residents: 4.95

Average GPA – non-residents: 4.44

Number of S.C. residents: 18

Number of non-residents: 12

Colonial Scholars: 4

Huge Scholar: 1

Swanson Scholars: 6

International Scholars: 9

* This information is provisional and should not be considered official data.