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South University-Columbia

Columbia, SC 450 Undergrads 28.9% Grad Rate
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Total Cost
$35,322
Sticker Price
Avg Net Price
$27,693
After Aid
Median Earnings
$68,975
4yr Post-Grad

Vs. Peer Institutions

Net Price$27,693
Peer Midpoint: $20,081
Earnings (4yr Post-Grad)Completers only after graduation
$68,975
Peer Midpoint: $60,428
Warning: This school's reported earnings inflated significantly (+100%) when the Dept of Education excluded non-graduates from the dataset. Take caution when comparing.
Earnings (10yr Post-Enroll)All enrolled after enrollment
$34,421
Peer Midpoint: $53,763
Graduation Rate28.9%
Peer Midpoint: 58.9%
Warning: The majority of students at this institution do not graduate. Non-completers typically earn significantly less and face higher debt risks.
Average Starting Age30.0
Warning: High average starting age indicates non-traditional students with prior work experience, which may inflate the median earnings shown.
Socio-Economic Diversity
Pell Grant Recipients57.8%
Enrollment Status
Full-Time74.2%
Economic Outcomes
Earn More than HS56.8%

Admissions Profile

Acceptance
100.0%
SAT Avg
-
SAT Reading
25th: --75th: -
SAT Math
25th: --75th: -
ACT Composite
25th: --75th: -

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)
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Institution Lifetime NPV
Vs Median Peer
Vs HS Grad
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
+$606k
+$139k
+$122k
Median Cost$28k/yr
+$506k
+$39k
+$22k
Full Cost$35k/yr
+$479k
+$12k
-$6k

ROI Efficiency Metrics
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Break-Even Age
Return on Inv. %
Zero Cost (Scholarship)$0
31
∞
Median Cost$28k/yr
52
22%
Full Cost$35k/yr
Never
-4%
Analysis Assumptions:
  • Starting Salary: Estimated from the 4-year post-graduation median earnings (assuming 2% annual growth from graduation).⚠️ Warning: The high average starting age or low completion rate may inflate the Median earnings and ROI shown.
  • 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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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 Return86%

Gov. Pell Grant ROINew
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

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-32%
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
⚠️ Caution: Underlying earnings data reflects graduates only. This institution flagged for high risk factors (low completion/older demographics) that may artificially inflate this ROI.

Associate's Degrees

Median Debt
$23,000
Earnings (4yr)
$50,681
Natl Median: $42,269
Lifetime Value Added
+$4k

Bachelor's Degrees

Median Debt
$46,000
Earnings (4yr)
$53,445
Natl Median: $68,257
Lifetime Value Added
-$102k
Median Debt
$42,354
Earnings (4yr)
$46,322
Natl Median: $55,378
Lifetime Value Added
-$161k
Median Debt
$39,675
Earnings (4yr)
$46,885
Natl Median: $58,716
Lifetime Value Added
-$157k
Median Debt
$47,778
Earnings (4yr)
$47,390
Natl Median: $61,296
Lifetime Value Added
-$152k
Median Debt
$45,268
Earnings (4yr)
$58,915
Natl Median: $85,294
Lifetime Value Added
-$57k
Median Debt
$44,464
Earnings (4yr)
$49,335
Natl Median: $53,266
Lifetime Value Added
-$136k
Psychology, General
BachCIP: 4201
Median Debt
$44,548
Earnings (4yr)
$39,694
Natl Median: $50,706
Lifetime Value Added
-$218k
Public Health
BachCIP: 5122
Median Debt
$38,888
Earnings (4yr)
$45,993
Natl Median: $58,808
Lifetime Value Added
-$164k
Median Debt
$23,592
Earnings (4yr)
$91,363
Natl Median: $88,910
Lifetime Value Added
+$193k

Master's Degrees

Median Debt
$46,193
Earnings (4yr)
$74,209
Natl Median: $103,485
Lifetime Value Added
-$37k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$55,950
Natl Median: $66,714
Lifetime Value Added
-$201k
Median Debt
$41,000
Earnings (4yr)
$65,167
Natl Median: $89,981
Lifetime Value Added
-$116k
Median Debt
$62,262
Earnings (4yr)
$55,052
Natl Median: $59,571
Lifetime Value Added
-$210k
Median Debt
$52,542
Earnings (4yr)
$47,649
Natl Median: $81,408
Lifetime Value Added
-$280k
Median Debt
$59,405
Earnings (4yr)
$119,307
Natl Median: $120,193
Lifetime Value Added
+$358k

Graduate Certificates

Median Debt
$46,988
Earnings (4yr)
$120,256
Natl Median: $126,911
Lifetime Value Added
+$488k

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.