Board of Visitors approves tuition rates for 2026-27

July 23, 2026July 23, 2026 News Releases

During a June meeting this summer, The Citadel Board of Visitors voted to maintain tuition rates for both in-state and out-of-state cadets this upcoming academic year.

This vote to keep tuition flat comes as the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) projected a 3.6% tuition increase for many colleges and universities across the country for the 2026-27 year. The HEPI estimate is calculated with available, year-to-date data points coupled with a forecast of remaining numbers based on historic data.

The South Carolina Corps of Cadets

The Citadel is one of the only two remaining 24/7 military colleges, aside from the federal academies. As such, when comparing college tuition rates, it is important to note that The Citadel’s fee structure is different because the costs of room and board, and multiple sets of military uniforms, comprise the overall “all-in” rate. This is because members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets — all undergraduates — must live in the barracks, eat most meals in the mess hall and wear uniforms while on or near campus. Laundry, dry cleaning and books are also included in the all-in rate, with those costs calculated as part of each cadet’s One Card/Quartermaster Account.

The all-in rate does not include other items such as fees that vary according to the academic major or schedule of each cadet or student. Those major-specific fees align with the higher cost of some majors for faculty, labs, materials or programming.

The all-in cost for the 2026-27 academic year is below. All cadets will see a slight increase in board costs. Freshman year charges are higher because of first-year uniform purchases.

All-in cost for cadets, 2026-27	In-state	Out-of-state
Freshmen	$34,935	$62,202
Upperclassmen	$28,659	$55,926

The Citadel Graduate College

Additionally, nearly all undergraduate and graduate students with The Citadel Graduate College will not see an increase in tuition; tuition for the M.A. in Clinical Counseling saw a slight increase. Additional fees are different from those for cadets, as CGC students do not live on campus.

The all-in cost for the 2026-27 academic year is below.

The Citadel Graduate College programs (*per credit hour), 2026-27	In-state	Out-of-state
Graduate Students	$720	$1,040
College Transfer/Evening Undergraduates	$520	$950
Online Graduate Students	$720	$720
Online College Transfer Undergraduates	$520	$520
MBA Online	$800	$800
M.A. in Clinical Counseling	$775	$1,095

The Citadel has a consistent track record of achieving some of the highest four-year graduation rates in the state of South Carolina, as well as some of the highest rates of employment after graduation with alumni earning top salaries. This combination of high four-year graduation rates, high employment and high salaries helped The Citadel earn recognition as #1 Regional University in the South by U.S. News & World Report for two consecutive years, as well as #1 Public University in the South for 15 years in a row.