American College of the Building Arts
Charleston, SC
44.4%
Acceptance Rate
$21,500
Avg Cost (In-State)
$21,500
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
63%
Graduation Rate
155
Total Enrollment
By the numbers
American College of the Building Arts, at a glance
Graduation rate is the standard federal 6-year completion rate (students often take longer than four years). Earnings & selectivity rankings are computed across every US college in our catalog. Figures from College Scorecard / IPEDS; sticker cost is before financial aid.
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
Rolling admissions
Common App
No
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
1
Letters of Rec
2
Application Fee
$35
Interview
Available
Essays: Personal statement explaining interest in traditional building arts and craftsmanship
Note: Portfolio of work (if available), campus visit strongly recommended, hands-on project demonstration may be required
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
63%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
What current students say
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Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Clemson Tiger Pride Scholarship
$2,500-$8,000/year
universityAutomatic for SC residents with top-percentile GPA + ACT/SAT.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗SC HOPE Scholarship
Up to $2,800 (freshman year only)
stateSC HS grads with 3.0+ GPA not meeting LIFE/Palmetto Fellows; freshman year only at SC institutions.
Deadline: Auto-determined
Learn more ↗SC LIFE Scholarship
Up to $5,000/year ($7,500 for STEM)
stateSC HS grads with 2 of 3: 3.0 GPA, top 30%, or 1100 SAT/24 ACT, at SC public/private institutions.
Deadline: Auto-determined
Learn more ↗University of South Carolina McNair Scholars Program
Tuition + fees + research stipend + study-abroad
universityTop 40 incoming USC freshmen nationally; full ride + enrichment programs.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗University of South Carolina Carolina Scholarship
Up to full cost of attendance + summer enrichment
universityTop USC SC incoming freshmen via competitive McNair/Stamps/Capstone process.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Clemson University Lyceum Scholars
$10,000/year + summer enrichment
universityTop Clemson incoming freshmen with academic merit + leadership.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Coastal Community Foundation of SC Scholarships
$500-$10,000 across 100+ named funds
localHS seniors from 9-county Lowcountry SC region (Charleston / Beaufort / Berkeley).
Deadline: February
Learn more ↗Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Education Fund
$500-$2,500
localGullah/Geechee descendants from coastal NC/SC/GA/FL.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗SC Palmetto Fellows Scholarship
Up to $6,700-$10,000/year
stateSC HS grads in top 6% of class with 3.5+ GPA + 1200 SAT/27 ACT at SC public/private 4-year.
Deadline: Multiple windows, June + December
Learn more ↗Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 44.4% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
44.44%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
18.4%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
5.8%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
75.0%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
62.1%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
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