Coastal Carolina University

Coastal Carolina University is a higher education institution situated in Conway, South Carolina, around 25 miles from the border with North Carolina.

Now referred to as CCU, the university’s history dates back to 1954, when local residents established Coastal Carolina Junior College, then a branch of the College of Charleston, 100 miles down the Atlantic coast. From 1960 to 1993, CCU was affiliated to the University of South Carolina.

It moved to its current location, in between the small town of Conway and the resort town of Myrtle Beach, visited by tens of thousands of holidaygoers every summer, in 1961. Conway, which is 14 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, lies on the River Waccamaw, is one of the oldest towns in the state.

CCU was made an independent university by the state legislature in 1993. By 2015, it had grown from a 54-student institution to one hosting more than 10,000.

The 633-acre university has more than 100 buildings, over 180 student clubs, 4,000 beds, an 18-hole golf course, and a dedicated shuttle bus. Bicycles are available to hire.

CCU offered its first doctoral programme in 2014, the PhD in coastal and marine systems science. The university also owns land on nearby Waties Island, which marine science students can use as a research facility.

In 2016, CCU’s men’s baseball team won their first ever College World Series, defeating the University of Arizona in the best-of-three contest. The men’s basketball team has contested the NCAA Tournament, the most prestigious competition at college level, four times.

CCU alumni include US Open-winning golfer Dustin Johnson.