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Coastal Carolina University
Conway, SC 10,377 Undergrads 52.6% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$28,982
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$15,287
After Aid
Median Earnings
$55,370
5yr Post-Grad
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$15,287
Peer Midpoint: $19,969
Earnings (5yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$55,370Peer Midpoint: $61,632
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$54,702Peer Midpoint: $58,891
Graduation Rate52.6%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average starting age (2015-17)20.6
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients29.1%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time96.5%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS66.2%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
75.3%
SAT Avg
1,143
SAT Reading
25th: 53058075th: 620
SAT Math
25th: 52056075th: 600
ACT Composite
25th: 212375th: 26
ROI Sensitivity AnalysisAssuming 4 Years to Graduation
This analysis tests three cost scenarios (Scholarship, Average Net Price, Full Sticker Price) to show how college costs impact your long-term return compared to the average student and a high school graduate.
Lifetime Value Added (NPV)
Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$491k
+$21k
+$5k
Median Cost$15k/yr
+$436k
-$34k
-$50k
Full Cost$29k/yr
+$387k
-$83k
-$99k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
57
∞
Median Cost$15k/yr
Never
-91%
Full Cost$29k/yr
Never
-95%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the median earnings five years after graduating, with four years of 2% raises taken out.
- Comparisons: "Vs Median Peer" compares to the median student nationwide in a similar level program. "Vs HS Grad" compares to a median high school graduate.
- Break-Even: The age at which the college investment net income exceeds the median high school graduate's lifetime earnings.
- NPV: Net Present Value of all future earnings minus costs and taxes, discounted at 7.8%.
Social Impact ROINew
Measures the societal return on a donor's investment. Calculated as the incremental pre-tax lifetime earnings vs. HS grad, divided by the tax-adjusted donation cost.
Donor Return-75%
Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
Measures the government's return on Pell Grants via increased tax revenue. Calculated as the portion of incremental lifetime taxes (discounted at 5.4%) attributed to the Pell Grant investment.
Taxpayer Return-73%
Program ROI Analysis
These figures are medians for past graduates who received federal aid. Your cost and pay will differ. Run your own numbers in the Guided ROI Interview →
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$21,124
Earnings (4yr)
$63,239
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Applied Mathematics
BachCIP: 2703
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,208
Natl Median: $91,532
Lifetime Value Added
-$9k
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology
BachCIP: 2602
Median Debt
$20,250
Earnings (4yr)
$46,896
Natl Median: $65,466
Lifetime Value Added
-$112k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (4yr)
$51,247
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$75k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$59,946
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$3k
Business/Managerial Economics
BachCIP: 5206
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$61,910
Natl Median: $77,981
Lifetime Value Added
+$13k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$21,300
Earnings (4yr)
$51,010
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$25,736
Earnings (4yr)
$63,247
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$23k
Design and Applied Arts
BachCIP: 5004
Median Debt
$23,125
Earnings (4yr)
$40,150
Natl Median: $51,490
Lifetime Value Added
-$170k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$25,519
Earnings (4yr)
$33,962
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$224k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$45,323
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
-$126k
Engineering Science
BachCIP: 1413
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $93,782
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$25,603
Earnings (4yr)
$37,707
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$191k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$70,181
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$26,000
Earnings (4yr)
$36,007
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$206k
Health and Medical Administrative Services
BachCIP: 5107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$59,575
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$6k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$20,117
Earnings (4yr)
$49,222
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$92k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$50,864
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
-$79k
Information Science/Studies
BachCIP: 1104
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$77,999
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$138k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$56,863
Natl Median: $75,803
Lifetime Value Added
-$29k
Median Debt
$23,631
Earnings (4yr)
$38,460
Natl Median: $53,072
Lifetime Value Added
-$185k
Median Debt
$15,750
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,984
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$62,373
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$24,730
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$296k
Philosophy
BachCIP: 3801
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $54,455
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Physics
BachCIP: 4008
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $76,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$21,248
Earnings (4yr)
$53,948
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$22,250
Earnings (4yr)
$45,469
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$124k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$48,238
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$101k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$99,780
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$289k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$47,056
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$111k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$49,005
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
BachCIP: 3105
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$50,228
Natl Median: $54,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$84k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$46,581
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (2yr)
$33,281
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,486
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$33k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$67,954
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$68k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $121,855
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$30,750
Earnings (4yr)
$84,573
Natl Median: $82,527
Lifetime Value Added
+$78k
Educational Administration and Supervision
MastCIP: 1304
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$62,607
Natl Median: $71,685
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Educational/Instructional Media Design
MastCIP: 1305
Median Debt
$30,155
Earnings (4yr)
$55,622
Natl Median: $70,644
Lifetime Value Added
-$182k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
MastCIP: 4006
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,463
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $65,716
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies
MastCIP: 2313
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$57,105
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$168k
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness
MastCIP: 3105
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$66,494
Natl Median: $62,033
Lifetime Value Added
-$81k
Median Debt
$30,515
Earnings (4yr)
$50,580
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$56,600
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
-$173k
Graduate Certificates
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,709
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate (for undergraduate programs) or a median bachelor's degree holder (for graduate programs), accounting for this institution's average cost and taxes. Computed over a career to retirement age.
For graduate programs (Master's, Doctoral, etc.), the calculation assumes a starting age of 22 (after undergraduate completion) and does not include the sunk costs of prior degrees. It represents the value added of the graduate decision moving forward. Note that the institution's average undergraduate net price is used as a proxy for annual cost, which may differ from actual graduate tuition. These Lifetime Value Added results for graduate degrees should not be compared with those for Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors.
Completers Only: Federal median earnings data strictly reflects outcomes for students who successfully graduated. Students who do not complete their degree typically earn significantly less and face higher risks of debt default.