The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one of six senior military colleges in the United States. It has 18 academic departments divided into five schools offering 31 majors and 57 minors. The military program is made up of cadets pursuing bachelor's degrees who live on campus. The non-military programs offer 12 undergraduate degrees, 26 graduate degrees, as well as evening and online programs with seven online graduate degrees, three online undergraduate degrees, and three certificate programs. The South Carolina Corps of Cadets numbers 2,300 and is one of the largest uniformed bodies in the U.S. Approximately 1,350 non-cadet students are enrolled in Citadel Graduate College pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees. Women comprise approximately 9% of the Corps and 22% of the overall enrollment while racial minorities comprise 15% of the Corps and 23% of the total enrollment. Approximately half of The Citadel's cadet enrollment is from the state of South Carolina; cadets come from 45 states and 23 foreign countries. South Carolina residents receive a discount in tuition, as is common at state-sponsored schools. The Citadel receives 8% of its operating budget from the state. In 2019, the school's ROTC program commissioned 186 officers. The Corps of Cadets combines academics, physical challenges, and military discipline. While only about one-third of graduates each year go into the armed services, all members of the Corps are required to participate in ROTC. The academic program is divided into five schools – Business, Education, Engineering, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Science and Mathematics. Bachelor's degrees are offered in 38 major programs of study with 55 minors. The Citadel Graduate College offers 26 master's degrees with 41 different concentrations, 25 graduate certificates and two educational specialist courses; a college transfer evening/online program also allows students with college credit to complete their bachelor's degree in 12 subjects. 94% of the faculty hold doctoral degrees and the majority are full-time professors; the ratio of cadets to faculty is 12:1 and the average class size is 20. While all programs make use of The Citadel's campus and professors, only cadets live on campus. (Cadets are required to live on campus while they are in the Corps. There are no on-campus housing options for the other student populations). The veterans program, reinstated in the fall of 2007, allows veterans to attend classes with cadets and complete their degrees. Enlisted members from the Marine Corps and Navy also attend cadet classes as part of a program to commission highly qualified NCOs. The Citadel Bulldogs compete at the NCAA Division I level in 16 sports within the Southern Conference.
