Information Science/Studies at University of South Carolina-Upstate

Information science graduates from USC Upstate start at $48,664—well below both the state median of $55,866 and the national median of $58,651 for this field. These reported earnings place the program in the 22nd percentile nationally and 40th percentile within South Carolina, suggesting that students here are underperforming most of their information science peers. Debt figures are estimated from similar programs in South Carolina at around $22,591, which translates to a manageable 0.46 debt-to-earnings ratio that students could realistically pay off.

The 36% earnings growth to $66,316 by year four is encouraging and suggests graduates eventually catch up somewhat, though even at that level they're still trailing top programs like Clemson ($76,549) and Strayer ($71,167). For a school serving a substantial population of Pell Grant recipients (45%), the relatively modest debt burden matters—students aren't leaving with crushing loans. However, the starting salary gap is significant enough to question whether this program provides the technical training or employer connections that competitors in the state deliver.

The value here hinges on cost containment. If actual debt stays near the estimated $22,591, graduates have breathing room despite the below-average starting salary. But families should investigate why USC Upstate's information science graduates earn $8,000 less initially than the state average—that's a gap worth understanding before committing.