Fine and Studio Arts at Coastal Carolina University

Coastal Carolina's Fine Arts program sits in an unusual spot: it performs near the middle among South Carolina art programs (60th percentile in the state) while landing below the national median. That's largely because South Carolina's art programs collectively struggle—the state median of $23,121 matches this program's first-year earnings exactly, and even the top SC program (USC-Upstate at $35,203) barely reaches what stronger art programs achieve elsewhere.

The $25,000 debt load is manageable relative to that first-year salary, with graduates earning roughly what they owe. More encouraging is the 19% earnings growth to $27,427 by year four—a trajectory that suggests graduates find their footing after the initial post-college transition. This isn't the concerning earnings decline that plagues some arts programs.

The critical caveat: these numbers come from fewer than 30 graduates, so they could swing significantly with just a few different outcomes. For families considering this path, the question isn't whether Coastal Carolina's specific program is strong—it's whether pursuing a studio arts degree in South Carolina makes financial sense when the entire state's outcomes lag behind. If your child is committed to fine arts, understand they'll likely need to relocate, supplement with freelance work, or pursue graduate education to reach a comfortable income level.