ROI Major

Science Technologies, Other at Charleston Southern University

SC · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 41.99

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Science Technologies, Other degree from Charleston Southern University earn a median salary of $82,300 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $86,450. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.5 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$63,950

Typical Career

$82,300

Top Performers

$109,203

Estimated break-even: 4.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$549

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,858. Most students can comfortably afford about a $549 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.1x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Public Administration.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 22.0%
Educational Services 19.6%
Public Administration 10.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$86,450

Nominal: $82,300 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

4.5 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $44,849 $65,986 $95,419
5 Years After Graduation $63,950 $82,300 $109,203
10 Years After Graduation $58,956 $92,467 $117,867

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $82,300 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $82,300 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $86,450 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Science Technologies, Other program at Charleston Southern University can expect a solid earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $65,986, which increases to $82,300 five years post-graduation and reaches $92,467 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $86,449.58, indicating that graduates maintain competitive earnings relative to national standards despite the cost of living index in South Carolina being slightly lower than the national average.

The program prepares students for diverse career paths, with the top industries being Health Care & Social Assistance (22.0%), Educational Services (19.6%), and Public Administration (10.4%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 4.5 years, suggesting a favorable return on investment for those pursuing this degree. Overall, the combination of strong earnings potential and industry demand supports a positive outlook for graduates in the field.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Science Technologies, Other degree at Charleston Southern University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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