History at College of Charleston

College of Charleston's history program starts graduates at just $28,449—below both the national median ($31,220) and South Carolina's average ($30,189) for history majors. That's roughly $8,000 less than what history graduates from The Citadel earn right out of school. The debt load of $27,000 is manageable, ranking in just the 5th percentile nationally, but paired with those low initial earnings, you're looking at a debt-to-income ratio that exceeds recommended thresholds.

The silver lining is significant earnings growth: four years out, graduates see their income jump 35% to $38,464, which finally puts them ahead of most peers. This suggests the degree opens doors that take time to walk through—perhaps graduate school, career pivots, or industries with delayed entry. Still, four years is a long runway when you're managing student loans on a sub-$30,000 starting salary.

This program makes sense if your child plans to pursue graduate education (where that debt load won't balloon dramatically) or has financial support during those lean early years. For a student counting on immediate post-graduation income to manage expenses independently, stronger options exist within South Carolina. The eventual earnings growth is real, but the path there requires patience and possibly additional resources.