Human Services at Columbia International University

A debt load near $33,000 for a Human Services bachelor's might sound manageable until you compare it to what similar programs typically produce in South Carolina. Peer programs in the state show first-year earnings around $33,000—roughly $3,000 less than the national estimate used here—yet those same SC programs carry median debt of nearly $42,000. If Columbia International's actual outcomes track closer to state patterns than national ones, the financial picture deteriorates quickly.

The 0.89 debt-to-earnings ratio assumes national earnings hold true for this program's graduates, but that's uncertain given how much SC lags the national benchmark. Anderson and Southern Wesleyan, the only SC schools with reported data, both show earnings in the low $30,000s, suggesting the local job market for human services work simply pays less than the national average. Meanwhile, human services careers—often in social work, community outreach, or counseling—are known for demanding emotional labor at modest pay scales, regardless of location.

Before committing, get concrete placement data from Columbia International showing where recent graduates actually work and what they earn in their first jobs. If most stay in South Carolina and the real starting salary is closer to $33,000 with debt matching state norms, you're looking at monthly loan payments consuming a much larger slice of take-home pay than these estimates suggest.