Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Denmark Technical College
SC · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Denmark Technical College earn a median salary of $32,720 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $34,370. The degree typically pays for itself in 229.6 years.
Quick Insights
How this degree looks at a glance
A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.
Salary Ranges
Starting Range
$24,693
Typical Career
$32,720
Top Performers
$42,146
Estimated break-even: 229.6 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$218
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,727. Most students can comfortably afford about a $218 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 0.8x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.4x 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, Manufacturing, Administrative & Support Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.
5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent
$34,370
Nominal: $32,720 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).
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 | $21,804 | $30,246 | $43,047 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $24,693 | $32,720 | $42,146 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $26,980 | $39,708 | $56,759 |
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 $32,720 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)
= $32,720 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520)
= $34,370 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that graduates enter include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 46.9% of employment, followed by Manufacturing at 21.0% and another segment of Health Care & Social Assistance at 20.0%. Despite the potential for steady earnings growth, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 71.5 years, indicating a long-term return on investment that may be less favorable for some students. This data suggests that while there are opportunities in various sectors, the financial benefits may take considerable time to materialize.
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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.