CSU has more than quarter billion-dollar impact on state’s economy, study says
February 20, 2025
Charleston Southern University has a $235.7 million impact on South Carolina’s economy annually, according to a new study released by the Lilly Consulting Group. This impact, driven by university operations and labor, capital investment, and student and visitor spending, supports 1,624 jobs in the Palmetto State.
“Charleston Southern University is a powerful economic engine for the Lowcountry and the state of South Carolina,” David Lilly, founder and principal consultant with the Lilly Consulting Group, said. “Through job creation, student and visitor spending, and long-term investments, CSU is not just shaping future leaders—it’s strengthening communities and driving economic growth across the region.”
Celebrating its 60th year as a higher education institution, Charleston Southern—formerly Baptist College at Charleston—has grown considerably since its first year with 588 students. In 2024, the university saw record enrollment with nearly 3,900 students. More than three-quarters of this year’s freshman class call South Carolina home (79%), with 43% of the total population hailing from the Charleston Metro area.
The university expects continued growth, projecting to hit more than 4,000 in enrollment this fall. CSU has also seen record residential numbers for several years, exceeding housing goals and accommodating residents in the on-campus Wingate Hotel. Thanks to this considerable growth, CSU will be completing many capital projects in the next 18 months, including phase two completion of the science and engineering academic building, a major dining hall renovation, and the groundbreaking of a new residence hall.
“As a direct product of our transformative, faith-filled, and purposeful educational model, Charleston Southern University students are prepared to make an impact in our region and state. I am thrilled that the results of the study have proven what I already knew to be true—that our university is a thriving, vibrant educational pillar in this state and in the Lowcountry,” said Faulkner, the first alumnus to serve as president of the university. “CSU’s mission to promote academic excellence in a Christian environment provides the fuel to graduate men and women ready to influence their chosen professions and the world as the hands and feet of Christ. We have and will continue to meet the critical needs of the workforce of tomorrow for the Lowcountry and beyond. The best is yet to come for our university and for our region.”
Charleston Southern continues its deepest imprint in the Charleston Metro area, with a $159.4 million annual economic impact in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. According to the study, CSU generates nearly $35 million in tax revenue, with $13 million of that going to local communities and the state.
U.S. Senator Tim Scott, a 1988 CSU political science graduate, said, “As a proud Charleston Southern alum, it is an honor and a privilege that it continues to be a first-class university. This esteemed institution not only enriches South Carolina through its commitment to education, but it also serves as a powerful engine for economic growth in the local community. I look forward to future years of growth that will no doubt lead to an influx of investment, innovation, and local partnerships that benefit the entire state.”
CSU has long bolstered relationships with regional and global industry through corporate partnerships that build internships for CSU students and learning opportunities for employees through tuition discounts and corporate reimbursement programs. Business partners include Boeing, Kion, SixAxis, and SC Ports Authority, among others. CSU’s commitment to initiatives that promote growth and meet demand of Charleston area industries assist in retaining highly skilled Buccaneers in this region.
“The results of the recent study come as no surprise to those of us who are familiar with Charleston Southern University and who have resided, as have I, in the Lowcountry for decades,” said CSU Board Chair Dean Murphy. “CSU’s stated mission is to promote academic excellence in a Christian environment, and as our graduates enter the job market in the Tri-county area and elsewhere, the worth of such a foundation is made manifest to all. CSU’s impact is not just measured in terms of dollars and cents, and while that is substantial as the recent study clearly shows, the real impact is measured by lives changed and transformed as our graduates interact with others in their chosen professions.”
About Charleston Southern University
Founded in 1964 in the heart of the Charleston metro area, Charleston Southern University is a private, Christian liberal arts university. With an enrollment of nearly 3,900 students, CSU offers more than 80 academically rigorous and faith-integrated undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Charleston Southern has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report nationally for Best Online Bachelor’s Programs and Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans. Students can learn online or in a traditional classroom setting, all while discovering their pathway to purpose.
