A college education at its best is an exciting collaboration between professor and student. The Honors College at the College of Charleston takes this partnership one step further by creating a vibrant living-learning community where personal attention from faculty provides the support students need to reach their goals during and after college. Inside the Honors College community, motivated students live, learn, and grow together while pursuing their unique interests and goals – everything from study abroad, internships, research, triple majors and service projects at home and globally.
The Honors College at the College of Charleston was established in 1979 as an Honors Program with just 26 students. Today, the program has evolved into an Honors College with close to 700 students from across the nation and the world. As our community of students, alumni, faculty, and staff continues to grow, our commitment to academic excellence remains at the core of our program. The Honors College curriculum is rooted in the liberal arts tradition and challenges students to view the world from multiple perspectives. Honors students take about 30 percent of their courses through the Honors College – courses that are small, seminar style, and led by preeminent faculty members whose work is well known and respected among their peers.
As one honors student puts it, “The Honors College gives me the opportunity to explore ideas in greater depth, to work with the best faculty, to belong to a group that shares a common bond, and to learn through discussion rather than lecture.”
Our Mission
The Honors College provides bright, motivated students the opportunity for an excellent education at one of the nation’s oldest and most beautiful campuses. The curriculum is rooted in a strong liberal arts tradition but also addresses contemporary issues using up-to-date technologies and methods of learning. Honors students take responsibility for their own learning through class discussions, interaction with faculty, and independent research. Honors College students, faculty, and staff create a living-learning community that provides students with the academic challenge and personal attention which enables them to flourish and evolve into leaders in their communities and the world.
The Honors College at the College of Charleston:
A Tradition of Academic Excellence, a Culture of Collaboration, a Vision of Global Impact














