Colleges in Charleston

College of Charleston

College of Charleston was founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, the College of Charleston is the oldest institution of higher education in the state of South Carolina and the thirteenth oldest in the United States.

From its beginnings in the eighteenth century, the College has attracted teachers and students of uncommon talent and commitment. In the eighteenth century Doctor Simon Felix Gallagher began the tradition of rigorous scholarship. The distinguished scientists Louis Agassiz and John Bachman served on the faculty in the nineteenth century. The present faculty is composed of 430 dedicated scholars and teachers. Students are at the center of the educational program, and professors work closely with them at all levels of study.

The Citadel

In 1822, the South Carolina Legislature passed an "An Act to Establish a Competent Force to act as a Municipal Guard for the Protection of the City of Charleston and Vicinity." Land on the North end of Marion Square was selected for an arsenal and guard house and in 1829, the architect, Frederick Wesner, completed the building which was known as The Citadel. A similar facility was constructed in Columbia, South Carolina which was known as The Arsenal.