Board of Visitors approves college’s request for moderate increase
During its annual fall meeting on Sept. 16, The Citadel Board of Visitors (BOV) approved a modest tuition increase for the 2021-22 academic year. The need for 2.5% increase for cadets and for students in The Citadel Graduate College was explained by the Vice President of Finance and Business as a means of continuing the college’s solid financial footing.
The increase is in keeping with the Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) December 2019 projection of a 2.5% increase, the latest year with figures available. HEPI is an inflation index designed to track cost drivers in higher education. For in-state upper-class cadets, all-in costs for tuition and fees will increase by $539 next year. Details about the increase for freshmen and for non-cadet students are below.
“We understand the pandemic may be causing a financial burden for some families and are controlling costs in the face of some of the unforeseen expenses of continuing to offer a transformative education and development experience during these unprecedented times,” said Col. Myron Harrington Jr., USMC (Ret.), ’60, chair for the BOV.
Earlier in the month, the BOV’s Operations and Risk Management Committee voted to recommend the increase and forward it to the full board for consideration after being briefed by the finance team.
Many institutions of higher education are struggling to manage financial losses incurred with the challenges related to the coronavirus pandemic and the spring and summer campus closures. In the spring, The Citadel refunded more than $4 million in room, board and parking fees; however, the college’s conservative financial approach enabled the BOV to keep tuition flat going into the current academic year. Operation Fall Return enabled cadets and students to return to campus to receive the highest quality, in-person Citadel experience available under the safest possible conditions.
The South Carolina Corps of Cadets
The Citadel is one of the only two remaining 24/7 military institutions, 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 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 costs of attendance for the 2021-22 academic year are below. Freshman year charges are higher because of first-year uniform purchases.
| All-in Cost for Cadets | In-State | Out-of-State |
| Upper-class | $25,638 | $49,475 |
| Freshmen | $30,943 | $54,780 |
The Leadership Lab fee is set to increase by $29 for freshman and $25 for upperclassmen. Room and Board will increase by $185. The increases also follow the HEPI estimate.
The Citadel Graduate College
Students in The Citadel Graduate College’s on campus and online programs will also see an increase in tuition.
| The Citadel Graduate College Programs (*per credit hour) | In-State | Out-of-State |
| Evening Undergraduates | $502 | $948 |
| Graduate Students | $610 | $1,046 |
| Online Undergraduates | $512 | $512 |
| Online Graduate Students | $712 | $712 |
About The Citadel Effect
The Citadel has a consistent track record of achieving some of the highest four-year graduation rates in the state of South Carolina, some of the highest rates of employment after graduation and the highest salaries ten years after entering the college. The institution was recently recognized for achieving the highest return on investment of any four-year college in South Carolina and rated in the top 5% nationally. This combination of high four-year graduation rates, high employment and high salaries helped The Citadel earn recognition as #1 Public College in the South by U.S. News & World Report for ten consecutive years.
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