Coastal Carolina University (CCU) is an independent, state-supported school. Its main campus is in Conway, 9 miles away from Myrtle Beach. It was established in 1954, and fall 2010 enrollment was approximately 8,700 students, with about half of them state residents. Students at CCU can enroll in bachelor's degree programs in 53 areas and master's degree programs in seven, including education and coastal marine and wetland studies. The school's athletes compete in NCAA Division I in nine women's sports and nine men's sports.
Horry refers to the county where Myrtle Beach is located. The two-year college has campuses in three towns--Conway, Georgetown and Myrtle Beach. The school has about 6,500 students studying for college credit. About 9,000 adults enroll each year in the college's continuing education program. The school awards associate degrees in such areas as forestry management, radiologic technology and civil engineering technology. Some of its programs reflect the school's proximity to recreation, such as hospitality and golf and sports turf management.
The college is a ministry of Cathedral Church of Myrtle Beach, a nondenominational church that also has a K-12 school. The campus is on the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. The college awards associate, bachelor's and master's degrees in theology, with concentration in such areas as missions or Christian education. Cathedral's doctoral degree is awarded in one of three programs: ministry, Christian counseling or Christian education.
Webster is a branch of an international university based in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, with more than 100 campuses. Webster has several locations in South Carolina. The Myrtle Beach campus began at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base to serve the military population. When the base closed in 1992, the school moved to Oleander Drive. The campus primarily offers graduate degrees in business, such as human resources development and information technology management. Other degrees are offered online. As of 2011, approximately 400 students are enrolled at Webster's Myrtle Beach location.