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College of Charleston
Charleston, SC 10,366 Undergrads 65.3% Grad Rate
Total Cost
$30,731
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$19,518
After Aid
Median Earnings
$56,416
10yr Post-Entry
Vs. Peer Institutions
Net Price$19,518
Peer Midpoint: $19,729.5
Earnings (10yr)$56,416
Peer Midpoint: $53,747
Graduation Rate65.3%
Peer Midpoint: 58.5%
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients20.6%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.2%
Admissions Profile
Acceptance
72.0%
SAT Avg
1,238
SAT Reading
25th: 58061075th: 660
SAT Math
25th: 55057575th: 640
ACT Composite
25th: 242675th: 29
ROI Sensitivity Analysis
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
+$489k
+$92k
+$4k
Median Cost$20k/yr
+$418k
+$22k
-$66k
Full Cost$31k/yr
+$378k
-$18k
-$106k
ROI Efficiency Metrics
Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
58
∞
Median Cost$20k/yr
Never
-94%
Full Cost$31k/yr
Never
-96%
Analysis Assumptions:
- Starting Salary: Estimated from the 10-year median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).
- 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-77%
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-74%
Important Note: Your ROI with any major will depend on the cost you pay to attend the program, and your starting salary. Both vary significantly across institutions. We encourage you to explore the ROI of a specific program variant by selecting the Program title of the credential level you are interested in. You will then have a more detailed return analysis for programs at specific institutions. We also encourage you to use the ROI calculator with your specific estimates of cost and salary.
Program ROI Analysis
Bachelor's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
BachCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$75,550
Lifetime Value Added
+$90k
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$22,632
Earnings (5yr)
$40,564
Lifetime Value Added
-$188k
Arts, Entertainment,and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$46,169
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$60,971
Lifetime Value Added
-$21k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
BachCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$21,798
Earnings (5yr)
$62,689
Lifetime Value Added
-$7k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,303
Lifetime Value Added
-$42k
Communication and Media Studies
BachCIP: 0901
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$56,868
Lifetime Value Added
-$53k
Computer and Information Sciences, General
BachCIP: 1101
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$110,457
Lifetime Value Added
+$351k
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
BachCIP: 5005
Median Debt
$26,746
Earnings (5yr)
$39,880
Lifetime Value Added
-$194k
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
BachCIP: 2613
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$46,285
Lifetime Value Added
-$140k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,866
Lifetime Value Added
-$70k
English Language and Literature, General
BachCIP: 2301
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$46,059
Lifetime Value Added
-$142k
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies
BachCIP: 0502
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,787
Lifetime Value Added
-$169k
Finance and Financial Management Services
BachCIP: 5208
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$88,966
Lifetime Value Added
+$191k
Fine and Studio Arts
BachCIP: 5007
Median Debt
$19,826
Earnings (5yr)
$38,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$207k
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
BachCIP: 4006
Median Debt
$22,659
Earnings (5yr)
$59,731
Lifetime Value Added
-$31k
Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1605
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,459
Lifetime Value Added
-$231k
Historic Preservation and Conservation
BachCIP: 3012
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (5yr)
$51,884
Lifetime Value Added
-$94k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (5yr)
$45,417
Lifetime Value Added
-$147k
Hospitality Administration/Management
BachCIP: 5209
Median Debt
$23,323
Earnings (5yr)
$53,871
Lifetime Value Added
-$78k
International Business
BachCIP: 5211
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$78,969
Lifetime Value Added
+$116k
International/Global Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$16,554
Earnings (5yr)
$49,041
Lifetime Value Added
-$117k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (5yr)
$63,816
Lifetime Value Added
+$2k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$46,478
Lifetime Value Added
-$115k
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,340
Lifetime Value Added
-$323k
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences
BachCIP: 2609
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (5yr)
$54,011
Lifetime Value Added
-$76k
Political Science and Government
BachCIP: 4510
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (5yr)
$55,509
Lifetime Value Added
-$64k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (5yr)
$48,502
Lifetime Value Added
-$122k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$25,146
Earnings (5yr)
$54,405
Lifetime Value Added
-$73k
Religion/Religious Studies
BachCIP: 3802
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$19,455
Lifetime Value Added
-$359k
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
BachCIP: 1609
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (5yr)
$53,369
Lifetime Value Added
-$82k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (5yr)
$47,690
Lifetime Value Added
-$128k
Special Education and Teaching
BachCIP: 1310
Median Debt
$21,067
Earnings (5yr)
$43,953
Lifetime Value Added
-$159k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
BachCIP: 1312
Median Debt
$24,087
Earnings (5yr)
$44,809
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Master's Degrees
Accounting and Related Services
MastCIP: 5203
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (5yr)
$90,105
Lifetime Value Added
+$319k
Business Administration, Management and Operations
MastCIP: 5202
Median Debt
$36,116
Earnings (5yr)
$82,555
Lifetime Value Added
+$254k
Historic Preservation and Conservation
MastCIP: 3012
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$56,946
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
MastCIP: 0301
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$47,260
Lifetime Value Added
-$34k
Public Administration
MastCIP: 4404
Median Debt
$40,493
Earnings (5yr)
$57,075
Lifetime Value Added
+$30k
Special Education and Teaching
MastCIP: 1310
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,568
Lifetime Value Added
-$133k
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods
MastCIP: 1312
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$47,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Note: Lifetime Value Added is the Net Present Value (NPV) of estimated career earnings relative to a median high school graduate, 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 degree decision moving forward. These Lifetime Value Added results should not be compared with those Undergraduate Certificates, Associates or Bachelors starting at age 18.