{"id":10240,"date":"2025-02-11T14:52:34","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T19:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/corps\/?page_id=10240"},"modified":"2026-09-08T11:42:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T15:42:48","slug":"why-the-citadel","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/corps\/why-the-citadel\/","title":{"rendered":"Why The Citadel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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A Path to Leadership, Excellence and Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At The Citadel, we\u2019re committed to developing principled leaders and citizen-soldiers who shape the future of our world. The Citadel is not just a college; it\u2019s a transformative experience. From our nationally recognized academic programs to our leadership training, we provide a clear path to success\u2014both during your time as a cadet and after you graduate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your investment in The Citadel experience can start with The Citadel Success Institute (CSI)<\/a>, a summer transitional program that helps prepare you for your incoming freshman year academically, physically and socially. Benefit from taking core curriculum courses and earn college credit hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout your time here, you\u2019ll have the support of our expert faculty, the Williams Student Success Center<\/a>, the Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics<\/a>, the Career Center<\/a> and our ROTC departments<\/a>\u2014all working together to help you succeed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of our academic excellence and unparalleled value, we\u2019re proud to be named the #1 Regional University in the South<\/strong> by U.S. News & World Report<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"U.S<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

#1 Regional University in the South<\/strong>
U.S. News & World Report<\/sub><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Citadel’s Return on Investment <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Citadel is proud to boast South Carolina’s<\/strong> highest Return on Investment (ROI)<\/strong>* among four-year colleges. We take pride in setting up our cadets for success. This starts from before your time as a cadet and continues after you walk across the stage at Commencement and become a Citadel alumni. Our alumni thrive in top industries, government and the military and the impact of your degree lasts a lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Line
*The net present value (NPV) of a Bachelor\u2019s Degree from The Citadel is higher than any other 4-year institution in the state of South Carolina at 10, 20, 30, and 40 years after graduation; Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.<\/sub><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"2026<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Ranked the #1 Best Value College in South Carolina<\/strong>, The Citadel combines affordability with long-term career outcomes that outperform other public universities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Developing Principled Leaders for Future Endeavors<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Cadet Leader Development<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The Citadel\u2019s Cadet Leader Development Program focuses on seven key leadership characteristics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Lead with Humility<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Embrace a True, Authentic Self<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Act and Speak with Courage<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Develop and Value People and Resources<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Empower and Hold Others Accountable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Respect Others by Building Trust and Learning from Mistakes<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Serve Others Before Self<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    \n
    \"Cadets<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    \"Cadets<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    \"Cadets<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
    \n
    \n

    Academic Excellence: Prepare for Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    With 30 majors and 50 minors<\/strong>, and a rigorous academic environment, you will be challenged to grow intellectually and personally. Our 11:1 cadet-to-faculty ratio<\/strong> ensures that you have access to top-tier faculty and a supportive learning environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
    \n

    Why Choose The Citadel?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • 100%<\/strong> classes taught by faculty
      *full-time and adjunct professors, no classes taught by teaching assistants<\/sub><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 17.6 <\/strong>credit hours per student
      *on average per semester, highest in the state of South Carolina<\/sub><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 3 <\/strong>hours of mandatory <\/strong>study on weeknights<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 75% <\/strong>four-year graduation rate
      *compared to a national average of 37% for public four-year institutions, showcasing our commitment to student success and timely graduation<\/em><\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
      \n
      \"Professor<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

      Post-Graduation Success: Your Future Begins Here<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      The Citadel provides you with the skills, network and opportunities to excel after graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • 88% of Corps of Cadets graduates<\/strong> are employed, in internships or attending graduate school by the time of graduation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Recent<\/strong> Top employers<\/strong> include the U.S. Department of Defense, Deloitte, Lockheed Martin, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Ernst & Young, Santee Cooper and Amazon.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Graduate school placements<\/strong> at prestigious institutions like The Citadel Graduate College, MUSC, University of South Carolina, Clemson University and the University of Cambridge.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • $497,090 more valuable<\/strong> then the average bachelor\u2019s degree from other public state institutions
        *40-year net present value; Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce<\/sub><\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • High average salaries<\/strong>: Engineering graduates earn an average of $64,722, and business graduates earn $61,000.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Estimated Average Salary by School and Military Service Upon Graduation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
        School of Engineering<\/td>$64,722<\/td><\/tr>
        School of Humanities and Social Sciences<\/td>$50,408<\/td><\/tr>
        Swain Family School of Science and Mathematics<\/td>$55,588<\/td><\/tr>
        Tommy and Victoria Baker School of Business<\/td>$61,000<\/td><\/tr>
        Zucker Family School of Education<\/td>$50,000<\/td><\/tr>
        Military Service<\/td>$57,527<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>
        Salaries are estimated based on post-graduation plans provided by cadets<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
        \n
        \"Veteran<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
        \"Veteran<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        A Path to Leadership, Excellence and Success At The Citadel, we\u2019re committed to developing principled leaders and citizen-soldiers who shape the future of our world. The Citadel is not just a college; it\u2019s a transformative experience. From our nationally recognized academic programs to our leadership training, we provide a clear path to success\u2014both during your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":694,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-10240","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nWhy The Citadel - South Carolina Corps of Cadets<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At The Citadel, we\u2019re committed to developing principled leaders who dedicate themselves to shaping the future of our world.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/corps\/why-the-citadel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why The Citadel\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"At The Citadel, we\u2019re committed to developing principled leaders who dedicate themselves to shaping the future of our world.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/corps\/why-the-citadel\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"South Carolina Corps of Cadets\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-09-08T15:42:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.citadel.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/Badge-College-RegionalUniversities-South-2026.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.citadel.edu\\\/corps\\\/why-the-citadel\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.citadel.edu\\\/corps\\\/why-the-citadel\\\/\",\"name\":\"Why The Citadel - 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