
Coastal Carolina University began in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, an extension of the College of Charleston established to bring higher education to the Conway area. It later became part of the University of South Carolina system, developed into a four-year institution, and became an independent public university in 1993.
That history helps explain its present identity: CCU is a regional university with undergraduate and graduate programs rather than a two-year coastal college. Its academic offerings now extend well beyond the programs available when it opened, while its main campus remains in Conway.
Coastal Carolina University organizes its academics across colleges covering business, science, education and social sciences, and the humanities and fine arts. Its offerings include bachelor's and graduate degrees, with programs that range from accounting and marketing to biology, education, communication, theater, and marine-related fields.
Among its principal academic units are the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration, the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts, the Spadoni College of Education and Social Sciences, and its college of science. Students can also explore interdisciplinary and honors study. The university's academic catalog is the appropriate place to check a major's current name, degree requirements, admission rules, and available concentrations.
Program choice matters beyond the major title. Prospective teachers should review certification requirements, nursing applicants should check the entry process for their intended pathway, and students interested in coastal or marine science should distinguish undergraduate study from specialized graduate research opportunities.
Coastal Carolina University's main campus is in Conway, South Carolina, inland from Myrtle Beach. The setting gives students access to a small-city community and the larger Myrtle Beach area without placing the campus directly on the beachfront.
Conway and the surrounding region can offer opportunities for internships, employment, and recreation, but travel between campus, work, and off-campus housing may require planning. Students considering a commute should compare travel time and parking costs with the price of living near campus. First-year students are permitted to register or park a car on campus, subject to university parking rules. Myrtle Beach International Airport is the nearest major commercial airport and may be useful to students traveling from outside the region.
Coastal Carolina University presents its mission as that of a public university combining teaching, scholarship, and service with attention to student learning and the region it serves. Its stated priorities include a broad education, disciplinary study, and opportunities for learning beyond the classroom.
Those statements describe institutional aims, not a guarantee that every student will have the same experience. Applicants can assess how the mission translates into practice by examining the curriculum, advising arrangements, research or experiential-learning opportunities, and support available in their intended program. CCU is a public institution, not a religiously affiliated university.
Name of the institution
Coastal Carolina UniversityLevel of institution
Four or more yearsControl of institution
PublicSetting type
City: SmallInstitutional Category
Degree - granting, primarily baccalaureate or aboveInstitution size category
10,000 - 19,999School type
UniversityMain student body
CoeducationalCalendar system
SemestersFoundation year
1954Coastal Carolina University is institutionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, an accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation confirms that the school meets quality standards and is required for students to receive federal financial aid.
Certificate of less than 1 year
Bachelor's degree
Postbaccalaureate certificate
Master's degree
Post-master's certificate
Doctor's degree - research/scholarshipData last updated on November 5, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.