Economics at Francis Marion University

Based on comparable economics programs in South Carolina, Francis Marion's graduates appear to start around $48,000—roughly on par with the state median but about $3,500 below the national benchmark for the major. The estimated debt load of $21,650 is actually lower than both state and national medians for economics degrees, resulting in a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45. This suggests that even if actual outcomes vary from these peer-based estimates, the financial structure looks reasonable for a bachelor's degree at a regional public university.

What's harder to assess is how Francis Marion's program specifically performs relative to the estimates. The school serves a substantial population of Pell-eligible students (39%), which could mean graduates face different labor market entry points than those at schools like Furman, where economics grads earn an estimated $7,000 more in their first year. On the other hand, lower debt here could reflect the school's public university pricing advantage, which matters when building financial runway early in your career.

The practical challenge: these estimates are drawn from a limited pool of SC programs, and without reported data specific to Francis Marion, you're making an educated guess about a degree's value rather than evaluating a track record. If your child is targeting economics specifically for career access—finance, consulting, data analysis—investigate where Francis Marion graduates actually land jobs and whether those outcomes justify even modest debt.