CHARLESTON, S.C. (August 14, 2026) – Leaders from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), MUSC College of Medicine, project partners, faculty, staff and donors gathered today to celebrate the topping out of the future College of Medicine building, marking a major construction milestone for the facility that will enhance and support innovative medical education. The project represents the first dedicated home for the College of Medicine in more than 100 years.
Traditionally signifying the placement of the final structural beam, a topping-out ceremony recognizes the progress made by the many teams involved in bringing a building from vision to reality.
“Today marks an exciting milestone and gets us one step closer to our goal of elevating the medical education experience for students, staff, faculty and alumni at MUSC. We will continue to ‘change what’s possible’ through the education, research and personal connections made in this new building,” said Terrence E. Steyer, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine and vice president for Medical Affairs.
The new College of Medicine building is a 186,000-square-foot facility designed to provide a centralized location for medical education, student support services and academic leadership. The building will create a true home for medical students to learn, study, collaborate and build community while bringing together educational programs and support personnel currently dispersed across campus.
Key features of the new building will include:
- Active-learning spaces.
- Large classrooms.
- Student study and relaxation spaces.
- Faculty and alumni commons.
- College of Medicine dean's office.
- Faculty and staff offices.
- Wellness spaces.
The project is part of MUSC’s long-term campus master plan, a strategic investment in the facilities and infrastructure needed to advance patient care, research and academic excellence. The COM recently welcomed 186 students to the Class of 2030, and the building has been designed with input from students and faculty to provide the flexibility and capacity needed to support the college’s educational mission and future growth as approvals are granted.
"The progress represented by this milestone demonstrates MUSC's continued commitment to educating the next generation of physicians and advancing health care for the people of South Carolina," said David J. Cole, M.D., FACS, president of MUSC. “By strengthening how we educate future physicians and bringing people together to collaborate, it will help advance our mission of improving lives through exceptional patient care, research and education.”
The estimated cost of the project is $175 million and is supported through a combination of public and private funding. The building is scheduled to open in late 2027.
Media contact: Faith Arenth, media relations manager, 854-253-0646, mediarelations@musc.edu
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About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) is the state’s only comprehensive academic health system, with a mission to preserve and optimize human life in South Carolina through education, research and patient care. Each year, MUSC educates nearly 3,490 students in six colleges and trains more than 1,175 residents and fellows across its health system. MUSC leads the state in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, including National Institute of General Medical Sciences COBRE awards. For information on our academic programs, visit musc.edu.
As the health care system of the MUSC, MUSC Health is dedicated to delivering the highest-quality and safest patient care while educating and training generations of outstanding health care providers and leaders to serve the people of South Carolina and beyond. In 2026, for the 12th consecutive year, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston the No. 1 hospital in South Carolina. To learn more about clinical patient services, visit muschealth.org.
MUSC has a total enterprise annual operating budget of $10.1 billion. The more than 37,130 MUSC members include world-class faculty, physicians, specialty providers, scientists, contract employees, affiliates and care team members who deliver groundbreaking education, research and patient care.
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