Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication at Benedict College

Benedict College's communications program produces first-year earnings of just $26,891—barely half what graduates earn from similar programs at USC-Columbia or Clemson. More troubling, this ranks in the bottom 10th percentile among South Carolina communications programs and the bottom 5th percentile nationally. Graduates here are starting $14,000 below the state median for this major, a gap that will compound over time.

The financial burden makes this disparity harder to overcome. At $38,250 in median debt (versus $25,625 statewide), graduates face payments while earning roughly $2,240 monthly before taxes. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.42 means students are borrowing more than an entire year's salary, creating tight budgets that could delay other financial goals. While Benedict serves a predominantly Pell-eligible population where any degree access matters, the economic outcomes here lag significantly behind both public universities and other private options in the state.

Parents should recognize that Benedict's 67% admission rate and focus on access fills an important role, but the earnings and debt combination presents real financial risk. If this field is the goal, comparing outcomes at USC-Columbia or even Anderson University—both showing stronger graduate earnings—would provide clearer paths to managing student debt on a communications salary.