Private nonprofit · Charleston, South Carolina

American College of the Building Arts

Charleston, SC · City · Small (155 undergrads)Website Net price calculator

The total cost of attendance at American College of the Building Arts was $40,607 for 2024–25, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Students who received federal aid paid an average net price of $34,661, and $28,212 if family income was under $30,000. We haven't verified aid figures for international students here; check the school's aid office.

Admit rate (2024–25)

44%

SAT / ACT middle 50%

1130–1290 · 20–27

Selectivity

Admit rate: 44% (selective)

Admit-rate bands: under 15% most selective; 15–35% very selective; 35–60% selective; 60–85% moderately selective; 85% or more admits most applicants. Descriptive only, not a prediction.

Cost of attendance (2024–25)

$40,607

Official · U.S. Dept. of Education (College Scorecard)

Net price (average)

$34,661

Federal-aid recipients; not for international students

Graduation rate

72%

Median earnings, 10 yrs

—

Median debt

$27,000

Net price by family income

Average net price by family income
Family income	Avg net price	Students in band
$0–30k	$28,212	3 (small group)
$30k–48k	$29,498	2 (small group)
$48k–75k	$36,043	4 (small group)
$75k–110k	$36,232	5 (small group)
$110k+	$38,732	4 (small group)

College Scorecard (most recent cohorts, release 2026-10-15), students who received federal (Title IV) aid. Bands with fewer than 30 students are greyed out because one or two students can move the average a lot. Counts: Scorecard fields NUM41–NUM45.

Your real cost

Published cost → aid by income → what internationals pay

1
Published cost of attendance: $40,607 per year (2024-25)
Tuition & fees
$20,572
Housing & food (off campus)
$12,761
Books & supplies
$950
Other expenses
$4,701
Total: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, 2024-25. Breakdown: NCES IPEDS academic-year charges, 2023-24 (first-time, full-time undergrads). Costs usually rise each year.
2
U.S. students: average net price by family income
$0–30,000
$28,212
$30,001–48,000
$29,498
$48,001–75,000
$36,043
$75,001–110,000
$36,232
$110,001+
$38,732
Average for all aided students: $34,661. Net price = cost minus grants and scholarships (not loans).
Source: College Scorecard, 2024-25; students who received federal aid. Use the school's net price calculator for your own estimate.
3
International students: cost minus the school's own aid to internationals
We don't have verified data on this school's aid to international students, so we don't estimate it. Plan for the full cost of $38,984 a year and ask the financial aid office whether internationals can get need-based or merit aid.
International students can't receive U.S. federal aid (Pell, federal loans, work-study). Add health insurance and travel.

Net price, earnings and debt

Average net price per year: $34,661
Median earnings 10 years after entry: Not reported
Median federal debt at completion: $27,000

Earnings and debt cover only students who received federal aid (grants or loans), not every graduate, and include students who did not finish. They describe past students and do not show that a college causes higher or lower earnings: who enrolls, what they study and where they live after all matter. International students are generally not in these figures.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (October 15, 2026 release). Earnings: median earnings of former students who received federal financial aid, measured 10 years after they entered the college (MD_EARN_WNE_P10). Debt: median federal loan debt of undergraduate borrowers who completed (GRAD_DEBT_MDN). Net price: average annual net price for federal aid recipients (NPT4). Compare colleges.

How students pay here

Need-based aid

We haven't verified this school's Common Data Set need figures (% of need met, average need-based grant).

Merit (non-need) aid

No verified merit-aid figures. Federal data below combines need-based and merit grants.

All first-year aid (federal data)

Got any financial aid: 43%
Got a grant from the school: 43%; Average $8,917 (need + merit)
Got a Pell Grant: 9%; Average $6,345
Got a state grant: 0%; Average —
Took a federal student loan: 26%; Average $4,990

International students

Not verified. Ask the financial aid office whether internationals can get need-based or merit aid.

Forms & deadlines

FAFSA for U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens (this school takes federal aid). studentaid.gov
CSS Profile or the school's own form: check the school's aid page; many private colleges require it, including for internationals. CSS Profile
Aid deadlines: see the official aid page. We only list dates we've confirmed.

Sources: NCES IPEDS Student Financial Aid 2022-23 (full-time, first-time undergrads; IPEDS doesn't separate need and merit).

Living here

Charleston · Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Cost of living about the U.S. average · 2-bedroom median rent $1,647 · transit commute share 0.9%

Est. monthly student budget

$1,800

See the area

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Compare cost with similar schools

All colleges in South Carolina: cost & aid · Ways to pay

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, Most-Recent-Cohorts institution file (released Oct 15, 2026). Cost of attendance & admissions: 2024–25. Net price, earnings, debt and completion are the most recent cohorts in that release and lag by a few years; net price covers federal-aid recipients (not international students). Fit labels are rough indicators from published ranges, not admission odds. “—” = not reported.