Design and Applied Arts at Spartanburg Community College
SC · Certificate Degree · CIP 50.04
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Design and Applied Arts degree from Spartanburg Community College earn a median salary of $37,247 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $39,125. The degree typically pays for itself in 195.2 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
$27,237
Typical Career
$37,247
Top Performers
$46,435
Estimated break-even: 195.2 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$248
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,104. Most students can comfortably afford about a $248 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x 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, Retail Trade.
Where Certificate 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
$39,125
Nominal: $37,247 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 | $18,857 | $28,276 | $44,060 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $27,237 | $37,247 | $46,435 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $28,622 | $39,793 | $54,757 |
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 $37,247 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)
= $37,247 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520)
= $39,125 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 58.5% entering this field, followed by significant percentages in related areas. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 195.2 years, suggesting that the financial return on investment for this degree may be limited in the short term. Overall, while the program offers a pathway into stable industries, prospective students should weigh the long-term financial implications against their career aspirations.
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Other Degrees at Spartanburg Community College
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.