Social Sciences at Charleston Southern University

Charleston Southern's Social Sciences graduates start at just $23,797, placing this program in the bottom 5% nationally—though that comparison misleads. Within South Carolina, these earnings actually hit the state median for social sciences programs, performing better than several competitors. The real question is whether $27,000 in debt makes sense when even four years out, graduates earn just $32,000.

The 35% earnings growth over four years sounds promising until you consider the starting point. At $32,000 four years post-graduation, these graduates still earn $5,000 below the national median for first-year social sciences graduates. The debt burden—requiring nearly 85% of first-year earnings—means years of constrained finances even as income grows. South Carolina's lower cost of living provides some relief, but doesn't fully offset these modest earnings.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds uncertainty to these figures, but the pattern is clear: this program leads to below-average earnings both immediately and over time. Unless your child has specific career plans that don't require graduate school and can live very frugally for several years, the math here is challenging. If social sciences is the goal, the regional outcomes appear similar across South Carolina schools, so choosing based on net cost after aid becomes critical.