Some of the most well-known colleges on beaches, such as UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, and Cal Poly, are highly selective, especially for out of state students. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of hidden gem colleges with higher acceptance rates close to the beach. Here are 6 colleges close to the beach that you might want to check out as you’re nursing your sunburn.

1. Coastal Carolina, Conway, SC - With close to 10,000 undergraduate students, Coastal Carolina offers a medium-size public university experience just nine miles from Myrtle Beach. From business to nursing to engineering and computer science, Coastal Carolina offers popular majors and more. Students interested in environmental science and sustainability might want to look at the Sustainability and Coastal Resilience major. 

2. College of Charleston, Charleston, SC - Located in charming historic downtown Charleston, CofC has about 10,000 undergraduates and gives students a city experience only 20 minutes from beautiful SC beaches. Students can choose from traditional majors as well as more occupation-focused majors such as Meteorology, Commercial Real Estate Finance, and Historic Preservation and Community Planning. 

3. Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL - For students wanting a small liberal arts college (about 2,000 students) located right on a beach, Eckerd just might be a perfect fit. Eckerd welcomes students undecided about their major and offers support to help guide them. Popular majors include Marine Science, Environmental Studies, and Geosciences. Club sports include scuba diving.

4. Texas A&M Galveston, Galveston, TX - Located on Pelican Island, Texas A&M Galveston is a small public institution with about 2,300 students. It offers students a private beach and fishing dock where they can watch dolphins play in the wake of passing boats. Students who dream of working in the marine industry in any capacity might want to look into majors such as Maritime Business Administration, Coastal Environmental Science & Society, Ocean Engineering, Marine Biology, or University Studies - Oceans & One Health.

5. Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX - Students at Texas A&M Corpus Christi might live in the Pelican or Surf Building or other beach-y named dorms. The university (6,000 undergraduates) is located on it’s own island and has offers a university beach overlooking the bay. Majors include most traditional majors as well as nursing, atmospheric science and media arts.

6. Loyola Marymount University - Los Angeles, CA - With a big city location just four miles from Venice Beach, LMU (7,000 undergraduates) might be worth a look. LMU’s School of Film & Television is among the top-ranked in the nation. The university offers 55 undergraduate majors ranging from Computer Science to Entrepreneurship to Urban Studies.