Business School

Business School at The Citadel

Public college ยท Charleston, South Carolina

  • AACSB accredited
  • MBA
  • Online MBA

The Citadel is a public college with graduate business programs in Charleston, South Carolina. Those programs run through the Baker School of Business. The institution is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The business school holds AACSB accreditation. It is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States, and it covers the school as a whole rather than any one program - a floor, not a ranking. More on accreditation.

Federal reporting puts graduate enrollment at 1,056 students, alongside 2,705 undergraduates. Total enrollment is not MBA cohort size - ask the admissions office how many students are in the specific program you're considering, which is usually a far smaller number and the one that shapes your experience.

Based on MBA Lab's directory data, the school offers a graduate MBA path and an online MBA format for remote or working students. That puts it among the 3 of 6 schools in MBA Lab's South Carolina directory listing an online MBA. Format availability changes; confirm the current lineup with the school before planning around it.

Charleston has 2 schools in MBA Lab's business schools directory, so it's worth comparing options in the same market before deciding - commute, employer partnerships, and evening scheduling often separate schools that look similar on paper.

What to ask The Citadel

These questions are picked from what MBA Lab's data already says about this school, so they're the ones most likely to surface a real difference between it and the next school on your list.

  • Residency and tuition tier. As a public institution, The Citadel may price in-state and out-of-state students differently, and some programs charge a flat rate regardless. Ask which tier you'd fall into and whether it changes after a year of residency.
  • What "online" means here. Ask whether classes are live at set times or self-paced, whether any on-campus residencies are required, and whether online students get the same career services, clubs, and recruiting access as on-campus students. These answers vary widely between schools that use the same word.
  • Where the degree is administered. Programs run through the Baker School of Business may have their own admissions timeline, aid pool, and career office, separate from the university's central graduate school. Confirm which office owns your application.
  • Compare inside Charleston first. With 2 schools in this directory in the same city, you can often visit or attend information sessions at all of them in a single week - the fastest way to tell apart programs whose websites read identically.
  • Ask for the school's own outcome numbers. The federal figures on this page cover business master's graduates who took federal aid, pooled across several years. The school's employment report will be narrower and more current - ask for it by program and by graduating class, not a blended average.

At a glance

InstitutionThe Citadel
Business schoolBaker School of Business
Controlpublic
LocationCharleston, South Carolina
Campus settingMidsize city
Carnegie classMaster's college or university (larger programs)
MBA formats listed MBA Online MBA
Graduate enrollment1,056
Undergraduate enrollment2,705
Business accreditation AACSB — view listing
Institutional accreditationSouthern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Official site Visit website
Net price calculator Estimate your cost
Federal data College Scorecard profile

School names, locations, and program formats are curated by MBA Lab and reviewed periodically (last data update: August 2026). Enrollment, accreditation, links, and any outcome figures come from U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Always verify formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. How this data works.

Programs at The Citadel

Details below come from The Citadel's own program pages, not from a ranking service or an aggregator. Each card links to the page it was read from and the date it was last checked, so you can confirm anything before you plan around it.

MBA

Online MBA
$800 per credit
  • Credits 36
  • Delivery Online
What that price is$800 per credit hour, 2026-2027 rate, regardless of residency
Estimated degree costAbout $28,800 at the resident rate for all 36 credits - tuition only, before fees the school bills separately. Confirm with the program.
On lengthFinish in as little as two years at one course at a time; pace is flexible. Up to 6 credit hours of prior graduate work may transfer.
Class schedule7-8 week accelerated terms; six entry points a year (August, October, January, March, May, June/July)

Reported outcomes

Median earnings, 1 year out $75,902 Median of 112 graduates working one year after completion -13% vs. the $87,219 median across MBA Lab's directory
Median earnings, 4 years out $107,824 Median of 81 graduates working four years after completion +42% against the 1-year figure - two separate cohorts measured at different times, not one group's career path
Median federal graduate debt $29,192 Median across 70 borrowers entering repayment About 0.38x the 1-year earnings median. Federal loans only - private loans, employer sponsorship, and savings aren't counted

Among the 6 schools in MBA Lab's South Carolina business schools directory that report a figure, The Citadel ranks 3rd by one-year earnings. Schools that report nothing are left out of that count rather than counted as zero.

What these numbers are. Figures cover graduates of master's-level programs in Business Administration, Management and Operations (CIP 52.02) who received federal financial aid. At some institutions that group includes business master's degrees other than the MBA, and it never includes graduates who took no federal aid - so these are a directional signal about a school's business master's programs, not an MBA salary report. Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Check The Citadel's Scorecard profile. Full methodology.

Want to see what these figures could mean for your own timeline? Try the free MBA ROI calculator, prefilled with The Citadel's context.

Compare with other schools in South Carolina

School City AACSB Formats listed Earnings, 1 yr out
The Citadel This page Charleston Yes MBA, Online MBA $75,902
College of Charleston Charleston (same city) Yes MBA, Executive MBA $67,635
Clemson University Clemson Yes MBA, Part-Time MBA $87,271
University of South Carolina Columbia Yes MBA, Part-Time MBA $118,109
Coastal Carolina University Conway Yes MBA, Online MBA $51,984
Winthrop University Rock Hill Yes MBA, Online MBA $61,645

"Not reported" means College Scorecard publishes no figure for that school - usually too few federally-aided graduates to release without identifying them. It is not a low number, and these schools are excluded from every average on this page rather than counted as zero. A dash under AACSB means the school isn't on AACSB's accredited list; it may hold ACBSP or IACBE accreditation instead, which this directory doesn't track.

This school in other directories

Frequently asked questions

What MBA formats does The Citadel offer?

MBA Lab's directory lists an online MBA at The Citadel, alongside the core MBA. Formats change - confirm the current lineup on the school's official site.

How much does the MBA at The Citadel cost?

The Citadel lists $800 per credit for the MBA. $800 per credit hour, 2026-2027 rate, regardless of residency. Across all 36 credits that is roughly $28,800 in tuition, before separately billed fees. Checked against the school's own page on July 27, 2026; costs change, so confirm before you apply.

How long is the MBA at The Citadel, and when does it meet?

The MBA requires 36 credits and is delivered fully online. Finish in as little as two years at one course at a time; pace is flexible. Up to 6 credit hours of prior graduate work may transfer. Classes meet: 7-8 week accelerated terms; six entry points a year (August, October, January, March, May, June/July)

What do graduates of The Citadel's business master's programs earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of $75,902 one year after completion for graduates of master's-level Business Administration programs at The Citadel who received federal financial aid. Four years out the reported median is $107,824. That group can include business master's degrees other than the MBA, and excludes graduates who took no federal aid, so treat it as a directional signal rather than an MBA salary figure.

How much debt do students take on at The Citadel?

The reported median federal graduate debt is $29,192 for business master's graduates at The Citadel. Against the reported one-year earnings median, that is about 0.38x a year of earnings. Federal loans are only part of the cost picture - it excludes private loans, employer sponsorship, and savings.

Is The Citadel's business school AACSB-accredited?

Yes - The Citadel appears on AACSB's list of accredited institutions. AACSB, founded in 1916, is the longest-established of the three business-school accreditors recognized in the United States (the others are ACBSP and IACBE). Accreditation covers the school, not any individual program, so treat it as a quality floor rather than a ranking.

Is The Citadel a public or private institution?

The Citadel is a public college, and MBA Lab lists its graduate business programs in Charleston, South Carolina. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

How do I compare The Citadel with other schools in South Carolina?

MBA Lab lists 6 schools in its South Carolina business schools directory. Use a consistent rubric across them: curriculum, recruiting outcomes, format fit, cost after aid, and location constraints.

Where should I verify program details?

Always confirm formats, deadlines, and costs on the school's official admissions pages. MBA Lab is a planning directory, not an admissions authority, and does not endorse specific schools.

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