Converse University

Private · Moderately Selective · SC

Photo: PegasusRacer28 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationSC · South

SettingUrban

Undergrads1,173

Student:faculty12:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate56.2%

6-yr grad rate61.5%

Drop-out rate20.4%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$25k

Out-of-state tuition$25k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity56.8%

Gender diversity73%

International8.8%

Identity—

Overview

Converse University is a private university in Spartanburg, South Carolina, founded as a women's college and now coeducational, though it keeps its women's-college legacy visible in campus culture.

Academics

Music is Converse's signature strength, taught through its Petrie School of Music with a conservatory-style intensity unusual for a school this size. Education and the arts more broadly are also established programs, and small classes give students close individual attention from faculty.

Campus & student life

The small residential campus in Spartanburg keeps a traditional, close-knit feel, and music performances and recitals are a regular part of campus life given the strength of the Petrie School. Converse's history as a women's college still shapes some traditions and social structures even after the shift to coeducation.

Getting in

Music applicants typically audition as part of the admissions process, in keeping with the conservatory character of the Petrie School, while other programs follow a more conventional holistic review.

Worth knowing

The relatively recent shift to coeducation is worth knowing for students weighing Converse against peer women's colleges or against coed schools — it occupies something of a middle position.

converse.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate67.7%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 1010–1250 · ACT 19–26

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying