Charleston Southern University has earned the 2026-2027 Military Friendly® Schools Designation as a Military Friendly® Gold School and a Military Friendly® Spouse School.
Charleston Southern has served veteran students for more than 50 years and currently has approximately 700 military connected students — which includes active duty, veterans and dependents, representing nearly 20 percent of the CSU student population. U.S. Air Force ROTC Detachment 772 at Charleston Southern has graduated military leaders since the 1970s.
Angelyn Taylor, CSU director of military services, said: “We are proud to announce our designation as a Gold status Military Friendly School®. This top-tier classification indicates our school ranks in the top 10 percent nationwide for military-connected student support, retention and graduation outcomes. We hold ourselves to a high standard, ensuring that our military-connected students receive the best return on their educational investment, and that they feel seen, supported and appreciated.”
Taylor said: “At CSU we are not only welcoming our military-connected students but also enabling their success from enrollment through graduation and into their civilian careers. Gold means excellence, and our veterans, service members and military families deserve nothing less.”
Charleston Southern is in the process of raising funds to build the P. Cecil Patrick Jr. Family Veterans Center, named for the transformational seven-figure gift from the Patrick family, to serve the needs of military-connected students.
Institutions earning the Military Friendly Schools® designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 3,200 companies participated in the Military Friendly® survey. Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by Military Friendly®, in consultation with the Military Friendly® Advisory Council, a group of independent leaders in the military community. Final ratings were determined by combining an organization’s survey score, public data, and an assessment of the institution’s ability to meet and exceed thresholds for student recruitment, retention, academic progress, graduation rates, career placement and support services for veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses. Learn more at militaryfriendly.com.
