Business Administration, Management and Operations at South Carolina State University

A $25,518 starting salary for business graduates falls well below what you'd hope for with a $32,000 debt load. To put this in perspective: among South Carolina's 34 business programs, this ranks in just the 10th percentile, trailing schools like Charleston Southern ($64,920) and Anderson University ($49,754) by significant margins. Even the state median of $41,953 is nearly $17,000 higher. Nationally, this program sits in the bottom 5% of all business administration programs—a sobering benchmark for such a widely-offered major.

The 23% earnings growth to $31,372 by year four helps somewhat, but that four-year mark still lags far behind where many business grads start elsewhere. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.25, graduates are carrying debt equal to more than a full year's salary, which can make loan payments difficult on these income levels. The relatively high Pell grant percentage (68%) suggests many families here need this investment to truly pay off, yet the outcomes trail state and national peers considerably.

If your child is set on South Carolina State for community or other reasons, understand they'll likely need additional strategies—internships, networking, possibly graduate education—to reach competitive business career earnings. Otherwise, exploring higher-performing business programs within South Carolina would significantly improve their financial starting point.