Design and Applied Arts at Charleston Southern University

Charleston Southern's Design and Applied Arts program carries $27,000 in debt—right at the state median—but earnings data tells an incomplete story. The school doesn't have enough graduates in this program for the Department of Education to report actual outcomes, so we're working with estimates based on five similar programs across South Carolina. That estimated first-year figure of $36,424 sits squarely in the middle of what other SC design programs produce, from Clemson's $46,689 down to Coastal Carolina's $26,076.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 looks manageable on paper, and the limited four-year data showing $38,545 suggests modest income growth. But here's the practical concern: when a program has too few graduates to generate reportable data, it raises questions about employment pipeline and industry connections. Design fields often rely heavily on internship networks and alumni placement, advantages that larger or more established programs may offer. The $27,000 debt itself isn't alarming—it's actually in the 25th percentile nationally—but you're taking on typical debt for a program where outcomes remain uncertain.

If your child is set on Charleston Southern for other reasons (location, community, or faith-based environment), this program's debt load won't sink them. But if they're purely focused on design career preparation, programs with reported data and clearer placement records—like Clemson or Winthrop—offer more transparency about where graduates actually land.