Catholic School CompassTrue north for Catholic families.
College of Charleston: Randolph Hall, College of Charleston, Harleston Village, Charleston, SC (49364204051)
Photo: Warren LeMay from Covington, KY, United States, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.

College · Catholic life on campus

College of Charleston

  • LocationCharleston, SC
  • Type and sizePublic · 4-year · 11,729 students
Official website

College of Charleston is not a Catholic college. This rating measures Catholic life on campus: campus ministry, priests, Mass and confession, student groups, and nearby parishes.

The Diocese of Charleston lists a Catholic campus ministry at the College of Charleston, with a chaplain, Fr. Paul Lacombe, and a campus minister, Kendall Mullen. The diocese describes retreats, Scripture small groups, RCIA and service projects as part of its campus ministries.

Catholic churches nearby

Map of College of Charleston, its Catholic center and nearby Catholic churches0.5 mi1 mi2 miSt. Patrick Catholic Church: 0.3 mi1St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church: 0.4 mi2Drexel House: 0.5 mi3Cathedral of St. John the Baptist: 0.6 mi4Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy: 0.9 mi5Sacred Heart Catholic Church: 1.2 mi6Catholic campus ministry at the College of Charleston: 0.5 miCollege of Charleston (campus)N0.5 mi
CampusCatholic centerCatholic church (numbered below)Open a street map ›
  1. St. Patrick Catholic Church — 0.3 mi · 134 St. Philip Street, Charleston
  2. St. Mary of the Annunciation Catholic Church — 0.4 mi · 93 Hasell Street, Charleston
  3. Drexel House — 0.5 mi · 34 Wentworth Street, Charleston
  4. Cathedral of St. John the Baptist — 0.6 mi · 120 Broad Street, Charleston
  5. Sisters of Charity of Our Lady of Mercy — 0.9 mi · 77 America Street, Charleston
  6. Sacred Heart Catholic Church — 1.2 mi

Within 3 miles, as mapped by OpenStreetMap contributors. The map may be incomplete. Confirm with the parish or diocese.

Catholic life scorecard

Each line is one thing we looked for. A check means yes, a half means partly, a dash means no. “Not enough information” means official sources did not say.

N/ACatholic life on campus: Not enough information. Official sources do not cover enough of this to grade it yet.

Catholic life on campus

Not enough information: official sources cover less than 60% of this area.

  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic campus ministry serving this campus (Catholic center, campus ministry, or chaplaincy)Yes (The diocese's list of campus ministries names the College of Charleston with a chaplain and a campus minister.)
    Sources (1)
    1. SC Locations | Catholic Campus Ministry, Diocese of Charlestoncharlestondiocese.org/campus-ministry/sc-locations · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “College of Charleston Also welcoming American College of Building Arts, MUSC, Charleston Southern University, Trident Tech, and active military Office 843-608-0279 https://www.cofccsa.org/ Facebook | Instagram Fr. Paul Lacombe, Chaplain placombe@charlestondiocese.org Kendall Mullen, Campus Minister kmullen@charlestondiocese.org”
      The Diocese of Charleston lists a campus ministry at the College of Charleston with a chaplain, Fr. Paul Lacombe, and a campus minister, Kendall Mullen.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Dedicated Catholic center or chapel on or next to campusNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Priest chaplain assigned to campus ministryFull-time priest chaplain (The diocesan listing presents Fr. Paul Lacombe as the campus chaplain.)
    Sources (1)
    1. SC Locations | Catholic Campus Ministry, Diocese of Charlestoncharlestondiocese.org/campus-ministry/sc-locations · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “College of Charleston Also welcoming American College of Building Arts, MUSC, Charleston Southern University, Trident Tech, and active military Office 843-608-0279 https://www.cofccsa.org/ Facebook | Instagram Fr. Paul Lacombe, Chaplain placombe@charlestondiocese.org Kendall Mullen, Campus Minister kmullen@charlestondiocese.org”
      The Diocese of Charleston lists a campus ministry at the College of Charleston with a chaplain, Fr. Paul Lacombe, and a campus minister, Kendall Mullen.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Weekday Mass at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Sunday Mass at the campus ministry or a campus chapelNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Scheduled confession at the campus ministryNot enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Catholic student groups and missionary outreach (e.g., FOCUS, Saint Paul's Outreach, Knights of Columbus, Bible studies)Not enough information: not found in official sources.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Formation programs (retreats, OCIA/RCIA, service, small groups)Two or more kinds (Recorded from the diocese's description of what each campus ministry provides (retreats, small-group Scripture studies, RCIA and service). The College's own program list was not available.)
    Sources (1)
    1. Campus Ministry | Diocese of Charlestoncharlestondiocese.org/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Each ministry provides events, programming, and other activities centered on the intellectual and spiritual formation of students while providing an atmosphere that is also welcoming and fun!”
      The diocese states that each campus ministry provides events and formation programming.
      “Off-campus retreats Diocesan wide annual gatherings On-campus small group studies on Scripture and Theology”
      The diocese lists off-campus retreats and on-campus small-group Scripture and Theology studies among the activities its campus ministries provide.
      “RCIA for those seeking to enter the fullness of our Faith”
      The diocese lists RCIA among the activities its campus ministries provide.
      “Service projects in your local community”
      The diocese lists service projects among the activities its campus ministries provide.
  • Yes: the school meets this item and earns its full points.
    Catholic church within walking distance (computed from OpenStreetMap)Within 1 mile of campusComputed from OpenStreetMap church locations.
  • Not enough information: official sources do not document this, so it is left out of the grade rather than counted as a no.
    Published weekly schedule of Mass, confession, and adorationNot enough information: no verified Mass times are recorded.

Grades come from the documented indicators under the published rubric. “Not enough information” does not mean the school lacks it.

Strengths

  • The diocese lists a named chaplain and a campus minister for the College of Charleston.
    Sources (1)
    1. SC Locations | Catholic Campus Ministry, Diocese of Charlestoncharlestondiocese.org/campus-ministry/sc-locations · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “College of Charleston Also welcoming American College of Building Arts, MUSC, Charleston Southern University, Trident Tech, and active military Office 843-608-0279 https://www.cofccsa.org/ Facebook | Instagram Fr. Paul Lacombe, Chaplain placombe@charlestondiocese.org Kendall Mullen, Campus Minister kmullen@charlestondiocese.org”
      The Diocese of Charleston lists a campus ministry at the College of Charleston with a chaplain, Fr. Paul Lacombe, and a campus minister, Kendall Mullen.
  • The diocese describes retreats, small-group Scripture studies, RCIA and service projects as part of its campus ministries.
    Sources (1)
    1. Campus Ministry | Diocese of Charlestoncharlestondiocese.org/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “Off-campus retreats Diocesan wide annual gatherings On-campus small group studies on Scripture and Theology”
      The diocese lists off-campus retreats and on-campus small-group Scripture and Theology studies among the activities its campus ministries provide.
      “RCIA for those seeking to enter the fullness of our Faith”
      The diocese lists RCIA among the activities its campus ministries provide.
      “Service projects in your local community”
      The diocese lists service projects among the activities its campus ministries provide.

Concerns

  • The Sunday Mass is referenced by the diocese.
    Sources (1)
    1. Campus Ministry | Diocese of Charlestoncharlestondiocese.org/campus-ministry · verified Oct. 12, 2026
      “All centered on and flowing from our celebration of the Holy Eucharist at Sunday Mass!”
      The diocese states that its campus ministry activities flow from the celebration of Sunday Mass.

Know something we missed? Suggest a correction.

The Catholic center

Catholic campus ministry at the College of Charleston

  • Address: 34 Wentworth St., Charleston, SC 29401
  • Distance from campus: 0.5 mi (straight line from the campus point in federal IPEDS data)

View on map ↗

Source: charlestondiocese.org, verified Oct. 12, 2026

Catholic clubs and student life

4 groups and regular activities · 0 on campus, 0 off campus, 4 location not published

Faith formation 2

  • Small-group studies on Scripture and Theology
    Listed by the Diocese of Charleston among on-campus activities its campus ministries provide. Not confirmed as offered at this campus specifically.
    charlestondiocese.org
  • RCIA
    Listed by the Diocese of Charleston for those seeking to enter the Catholic Church. Not confirmed as offered at this campus specifically.
    charlestondiocese.org

Retreats 1

  • Off-campus retreats
    Listed by the Diocese of Charleston among activities its campus ministries provide. Not confirmed as offered at this campus specifically.
    charlestondiocese.org

Service 1

  • Service projects
    Listed by the Diocese of Charleston among activities its campus ministries provide. Not confirmed as offered at this campus specifically.
    charlestondiocese.org

Everything listed is published by the school, its campus ministry, or the parish. Ask the campus minister what’s happening this semester.

Catholic campus ministry

Sources (1)
  1. SC Locations | Catholic Campus Ministry, Diocese of Charlestoncharlestondiocese.org/campus-ministry/sc-locations · verified Oct. 12, 2026
    “College of Charleston Also welcoming American College of Building Arts, MUSC, Charleston Southern University, Trident Tech, and active military Office 843-608-0279 https://www.cofccsa.org/ Facebook | Instagram Fr. Paul Lacombe, Chaplain placombe@charlestondiocese.org Kendall Mullen, Campus Minister kmullen@charlestondiocese.org”
    The Diocese of Charleston lists a campus ministry at the College of Charleston with a chaplain, Fr. Paul Lacombe, and a campus minister, Kendall Mullen.
    “Mailing Address 34 Wentworth St. Charleston, SC 29401”
    The diocese lists the mailing address of the College of Charleston campus ministry as 34 Wentworth St., Charleston, SC 29401.
    “Mailing Address 34 Wentworth St. Charleston, SC 29401”
    The diocese lists the mailing address of the College of Charleston campus ministry as 34 Wentworth St., Charleston, SC 29401.

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Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100 on what official sources document. Grades need sources for at least 60% of the checklist.
71 of 100
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.66%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.82%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,247 · ACT 27.5
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.16 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,229

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

Cost and value

Federal data, shown separately. Cost, debt, and earnings are never part of any grade.

Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
10,660
Total students11,729
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$18,960
Cost of attendance (per year)$32,362
Median federal debt at graduation$23,250
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
66%
First-year retention82%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$56,416
Admission rate60%
Students receiving Pell grants19%
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1247
SAT reading & writing590–670
SAT math550–640
ACT composite25–30
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value index: 60 / 100 (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Local Church

Diocese of Charleston

The Most Reverend Jacques Fabre-Jeune, Bishop of Charleston

Formal address: “Your Excellency”

Source: charlestondiocese.org, charlestondiocese.org, verified Oct. 7, 2026.

Diocese determined from the county, using the diocese’s county list (Wikipedia). Confirm with the diocese.

About this school’s data

  • IPEDS unit ID 217819
  • Carnegie classification: Master's university (medium programs)
  • Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges d.b.a. Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
  • Report an error or a newer source
  • Respond as this school

Questions families ask

Is College of Charleston a Catholic college?
No. College of Charleston is not a Catholic college. Catholic School Compass rates the Catholic life on its campus instead. Catholic students are served by Catholic campus ministry at the College of Charleston.

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