The Citadel is a landmark in Charleston, South Carolina that is noted for its educational reputation and tradition of preparing and producing principled leaders. Founded in 1842, The Citadel has an undergraduate student body of 2,272 students who make up the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. 1,066 students attend The Citadel Graduate College, a civilian evening program that offers graduate and professional as well as undergraduate programs. The Citadel is best known nationally for its Corps of Cadets which attracts students from 43 states and eight countries. The men and women in the Corps live and study under a classical military system that makes leadership and character training an essential part of the educational experience. One third of the graduating classes accept military commissions. The Citadel is divided into five academic schools: Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Mathematics. Because of its focus on teaching, a high graduation rate and strong alumni support, The Citadel ranks highly in the annual U.S. News & World Report ratings of southern colleges that offer at least a master's degree.

Living in The Citadel Community

Located in picturesque coastal Charleston, South Carolina, The Citadel offers a classic military education for young men and women who seek a college experience that is intense, meaningful and academically strong. Citadel graduates say the disciplined lifestyle and the friendships they forge here have had a profoundly positive effect on their lives and create bonds with generations of cadets before them and with generations to come. Small class sizes give students both the academic opportunities expected at a university and the personalized attention of a small liberal arts college. Bachelor of Arts degrees are available in chemistry, criminal justice, English, history, mathematics, modern languages, political science, and psychology. Bachelor of Science degrees are offered in biology, business administration (the most popular major), chemistry, civil and environmental engineering, computer science, education, electrical and computer engineering, mathematics, physical education, and physics. All cadets participate in the Army, Air Force or Naval/Marine Corps Reserve Officers' Training Corps programs. These programs do not require students to accept a commission or to be committed to active duty unless the cadet accepts an ROTC scholarship. A unique honors program gives advanced students at The Citadel the opportunity to work one-on-one with professors over a period of three years – a practice usually associated with graduate level studies. Generations of Citadel graduates have served their nation, their state and their community with distinction. Though the campus relocated in 1922 and the physical facilities have changed over time, The Citadel has stayed faithful to its original mission. It graduates men and women who value honor, integrity, loyalty and patriotism, and who accept the responsibilities that accompany principled leadership. The Citadel remains a stronghold of duty, self-discipline, and high ideals in a changing American society.