College ROI

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College of Charleston

Charleston, SC 10,558 Undergrads 64.4% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$32,362
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$18,960
After Aid
Median Earnings
$58,354
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$18,960
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$58,354
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$56,416
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate64.4%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Average Starting Age20.9
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients19.7%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time95.6%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS73.2%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
60.0%
SAT Avg
1,247
SAT Reading
25th: 59061075th: 670
SAT Math
25th: 55057575th: 640
ACT Composite
25th: 252675th: 30

ROI Sensitivity Analysis
Assuming 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
+$522k
+$56k
+$38k
Median Cost$19k/yr
+$454k
-$13k
-$30k
Full Cost$32k/yr
+$406k
-$61k
-$78k

ROI Efficiency Metrics

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
40
∞
Median Cost$19k/yr
Never
-44%
Full Cost$32k/yr
Never
-67%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation 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-27%

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-63%
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, or for more sophisticated analysis, the Guided ROI Interview, with your specific estimates of cost and salary.

Program ROI Analysis

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$85,826
Natl Median: $76,194
Lifetime Value Added
+$182k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $70,786
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Anthropology
BachCIP: 4502
Median Debt
$22,632
Earnings (4yr)
$53,567
Natl Median: $46,676
Lifetime Value Added
-$69k
Archeology
BachCIP: 4503
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $41,748
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Area Studies
BachCIP: 0501
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $56,625
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
BachCIP: 5010
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$52,674
Natl Median: $48,240
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $68,333
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $60,997
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Biology, General
BachCIP: 2601
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$55,342
Natl Median: $57,214
Lifetime Value Added
-$55k
Median Debt
$21,798
Earnings (4yr)
$71,360
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
+$72k
Chemistry
BachCIP: 4005
Median Debt
$27,000
Earnings (5yr)
$58,303
Natl Median: $65,120
Lifetime Value Added
-$40k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $49,429
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$58,371
Natl Median: $56,359
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$98,059
Natl Median: $92,374
Lifetime Value Added
+$276k
Median Debt
$22,375
Earnings (4yr)
$52,596
Natl Median: $58,894
Lifetime Value Added
-$77k
Dance
BachCIP: 5003
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $39,980
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$26,746
Earnings (4yr)
$44,991
Natl Median: $39,775
Lifetime Value Added
-$141k
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$42,466
Natl Median: $48,842
Lifetime Value Added
-$163k
Economics
BachCIP: 4506
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$54,866
Natl Median: $82,686
Lifetime Value Added
-$67k
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$51,705
Natl Median: $48,590
Lifetime Value Added
-$85k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (5yr)
$42,787
Natl Median: $51,710
Lifetime Value Added
-$167k
Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$84,187
Natl Median: $83,343
Lifetime Value Added
+$170k
Median Debt
$19,826
Earnings (4yr)
$38,378
Natl Median: $41,367
Lifetime Value Added
-$198k
Median Debt
$22,659
Earnings (4yr)
$63,993
Natl Median: $60,190
Lifetime Value Added
+$15k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$33,459
Natl Median: $55,459
Lifetime Value Added
-$229k
Median Debt
$21,500
Earnings (4yr)
$57,635
Natl Median: $49,728
Lifetime Value Added
-$36k
History
BachCIP: 5401
Median Debt
$25,500
Earnings (4yr)
$47,424
Natl Median: $50,680
Lifetime Value Added
-$121k
Median Debt
$23,323
Earnings (4yr)
$64,154
Natl Median: $56,726
Lifetime Value Added
+$16k
Median Debt
$22,646
Earnings (4yr)
$93,285
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
+$239k
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$76,727
Natl Median: $73,201
Lifetime Value Added
+$113k
International/Globalization Studies
BachCIP: 3020
Median Debt
$16,554
Earnings (4yr)
$60,468
Natl Median: $59,972
Lifetime Value Added
-$13k
Marketing
BachCIP: 5214
Median Debt
$19,500
Earnings (4yr)
$68,348
Natl Median: $69,303
Lifetime Value Added
+$49k
Mathematics
BachCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,942
Natl Median: $69,562
Lifetime Value Added
-$58k
Median Debt
$36,453
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,693
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Music
BachCIP: 5009
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$23,340
Natl Median: $42,892
Lifetime Value Added
-$321k
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
Median Debt
$23,250
Earnings (4yr)
$58,317
Natl Median: $62,172
Lifetime Value Added
-$30k
Median Debt
$24,000
Earnings (4yr)
$58,955
Natl Median: $63,293
Lifetime Value Added
-$25k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$23,750
Earnings (4yr)
$47,926
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$25,146
Earnings (4yr)
$55,660
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$52k
Real Estate
BachCIP: 5215
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $84,821
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$19,455
Natl Median: $41,390
Lifetime Value Added
-$357k
Median Debt
$22,875
Earnings (4yr)
$56,122
Natl Median: $55,000
Lifetime Value Added
-$48k
Sociology
BachCIP: 4511
Median Debt
$25,000
Earnings (4yr)
$48,709
Natl Median: $52,657
Lifetime Value Added
-$110k
Median Debt
$21,067
Earnings (5yr)
$43,953
Natl Median: $50,499
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Median Debt
$24,087
Earnings (4yr)
$46,036
Natl Median: $47,382
Lifetime Value Added
-$132k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $51,389
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $62,532
Lifetime Value Added
N/A

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$20,500
Earnings (4yr)
$98,747
Natl Median: $95,833
Lifetime Value Added
+$194k
Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management
MastCIP: 5010
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,685
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
$36,116
Earnings (4yr)
$97,539
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
+$184k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,665
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Computer Science
MastCIP: 1107
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $145,571
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $82,527
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,512
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$71,178
Natl Median: $64,496
Lifetime Value Added
-$47k
History
MastCIP: 5401
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,360
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$54,411
Natl Median: $58,524
Lifetime Value Added
-$200k
Mathematics
MastCIP: 2701
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $72,654
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$79,857
Natl Median: $74,607
Lifetime Value Added
+$29k
Median Debt
$40,493
Earnings (4yr)
$75,145
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$12k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $80,125
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $55,035
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (2yr)
$37,568
Natl Median: $64,397
Lifetime Value Added
-$348k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
$53,477
Natl Median: $59,916
Lifetime Value Added
-$208k
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $63,707
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $79,634
Lifetime Value Added
N/A
Median Debt
-
Earnings (4yr)
-
Natl Median: $59,460
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.