10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$165,730at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
College of Charleston
⌖ Charleston, SC · 39 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
MODELED SCENARIO · Negative payoff
−$165,730 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
At these assumptions, the estimated earnings premium does not recover the modeled economic investment within ten years.
28.4 yrsModeled economic break-even
−65%Modeled 10-year ROI
$54,011Observed earnings · year 5
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
Cost, completion and earnings context
$18,960Average net price / year
$32,362Cost of attendance
$54,011Median earnings · year 5 after completion
65.8%Completion rate
60.0%Admission rate
10,558Student size
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$36,253Year 1
$58,354Year 4
$54,011Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Accounting and Related Services · Master's Degree$98,7472Computer and Information Sciences, General · Bachelor's Degree$98,0593Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$97,5394Information Science/Studies · Bachelor's Degree$93,2855Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$85,8266Finance and Financial Management Services · Bachelor's Degree$84,1877Natural Resources Conservation and Research · Master's Degree$79,8578International Business · Bachelor's Degree$76,727Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Comparable colleges in SC
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive—not a quality ranking.
Spartanburg, SC
University of South Carolina-Upstate
- Annual net price
- $13,557
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $52,851
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -66%
University of South Carolina Beaufort
- Annual net price
- $14,656
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,631
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -81%
Coastal Carolina University
- Annual net price
- $13,966
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $49,041
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -83%
University of South Carolina Aiken
- Annual net price
- $11,641
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $50,627
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -75%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting and Related Services | Master's Degree | $98,747 | Not available |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | Bachelor's Degree | $98,059 | $25,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's Degree | $97,539 | Not available |
| Information Science/Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $93,285 | $22,591 |
| Accounting and Related Services | Bachelor's Degree | $85,826 | $26,375 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | Bachelor's Degree | $84,187 | $22,500 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Master's Degree | $79,857 | Not available |
| International Business | Bachelor's Degree | $76,727 | $22,500 |
| Public Administration | Master's Degree | $75,145 | Not available |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's Degree | $71,360 | $23,250 |
| Historic Preservation and Conservation | Master's Degree | $71,178 | Not available |
| Marketing | Bachelor's Degree | $68,348 | $22,250 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management | Bachelor's Degree | $64,154 | $23,448 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | Bachelor's Degree | $63,993 | $26,500 |
| International/Globalization Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $60,468 | $17,750 |
| Political Science and Government | Bachelor's Degree | $58,955 | $26,000 |
| Communication and Media Studies | Bachelor's Degree | $58,371 | $23,250 |
| Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences | Bachelor's Degree | $58,317 | $24,250 |
| Historic Preservation and Conservation | Bachelor's Degree | $57,635 | $22,375 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | Bachelor's Degree | $56,122 | $26,370 |
| Public Health | Bachelor's Degree | $55,660 | $26,926 |
| Biology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $55,342 | $25,000 |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's Degree | $54,942 | Not available |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | Master's Degree | $54,411 | Not available |
| Anthropology | Bachelor's Degree | $53,567 | $23,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Master's Degree | $53,477 | Not available |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management | Bachelor's Degree | $52,674 | $21,874 |
| Computer Software and Media Applications | Bachelor's Degree | $52,596 | $22,750 |
| English Language and Literature, General | Bachelor's Degree | $51,705 | $25,000 |
| Sociology | Bachelor's Degree | $48,709 | $25,000 |
| Psychology, General | Bachelor's Degree | $47,926 | $25,850 |
| History | Bachelor's Degree | $47,424 | $27,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's Degree | $46,036 | $26,423 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | Bachelor's Degree | $44,991 | $26,943 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Bachelor's Degree | $42,466 | $25,000 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | Bachelor's Degree | $38,378 | $21,500 |
| Special Education and Teaching | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $24,025 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $39,037 |
| Chemistry | Bachelor's Degree | Not available | $27,000 |
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.