At $15,309/yr net price, University of South Carolina Beaufort graduates earn $48,088/yr within 10 years of enrollment, which is $14,088/yr above the median for high school graduates.
Cost vs. Outcomes
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Net Price (per year) | $15,309 |
| Estimated 4-Year Cost | $61,236 |
| Median Earnings (10yr post-entry) | $48,088/yr |
| Earnings Premium vs. HS Diploma | +$14,088/yr |
| Estimated Break-Even | 4.3 years |
| Graduation Rate (6-year) | 38.6% |
| Median Debt at Graduation | $24,000 |
What You'll Actually Pay
Average net price by family income
| Family Income | Estimated Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $11,858/yr |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $12,806/yr |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $15,774/yr |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,369/yr |
| $110,001+ | $19,971/yr |
Earnings by Major
Top programs ranked by median earnings
| Program | Level | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computational Science. | Bachelor | $67,660 | |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | Bachelor | $57,318 | $27,000 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. | Bachelor | $35,060 | $26,187 |
| Biology, General. | Bachelor | $33,993 | $21,750 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations. | Bachelor | $33,459 | $25,250 |
| Hospitality Administration/Management. | Bachelor | $32,772 | $23,641 |
| Social Sciences, General. | Bachelor | $28,433 | $26,000 |
| Psychology, General. | Bachelor | $28,055 | $23,250 |
| Communication and Media Studies. | Bachelor | $27,150 | $24,750 |
| English Language and Literature, General. | Bachelor | $20,530 |
The Risk Factor
38.6% of students at University of South Carolina Beaufort graduate within 6 years. Fewer than half of students complete their degree. If you don't graduate, the financial investment may not pay off.
Analysis
The financial return at University of South Carolina Beaufort is mixed, and the gap between programs is wide enough to decide whether this school pays off for you. Median earnings a decade out sit below $50,000, and with a 38.6% graduation rate, the biggest risk here is paying for a degree you never finish. Fewer than two-thirds of first-year students come back for year two, so the odds of walking away with debt and no diploma are real.
Your major matters more than the school. Computational Science graduates clear roughly twice what business or biology graduates earn, and nursing pays well while landing you in a Bluffton-Hilton Head market where hospitals and retirement communities keep hiring. Those two are the clear winners. Biology and business, at around $33,000 to $34,000, barely beat what you could earn without the degree, and both carry $25,000-plus in debt. Teacher education lands in the same low band. If you enroll for business or biology expecting a payoff, the numbers do not back you up.
The debt side is manageable if you finish. Median debt is lower than the earnings of the top programs, so nursing and computational science graduates can pay it down without strain. The trap is borrowing that same $24,000 and not graduating.
Net price scales sharply with income. If your family earns under $30,000, you pay well under what families over $110,000 pay, so lower-income students get the better deal here. For families in the $75,000-plus range, the price climbs toward $20,000 a year with no guarantee of a high-earning major.
Enroll here for nursing or computational science, especially if you qualify for the lower-income price. Look elsewhere if you want business or biology and would take on full debt.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is University of South Carolina Beaufort worth the cost?
USC Beaufort offers mixed value with a low net price of $15,309 but concerning outcomes including a 38.6% graduation rate and median earnings of $48,088 after 10 years. The return depends heavily on your major, with computational science and nursing programs offering significantly better prospects than the overall average.
What are the best paying majors at University of South Carolina Beaufort?
Computational science leads with $67,660 median earnings, followed by nursing at $57,318. Education and biology majors earn around $35,000, while business graduates average $33,459, which is below the national median for college graduates.
How much debt do University of South Carolina Beaufort graduates have?
USC Beaufort graduates carry a median debt of $24,000, which is manageable compared to national averages. However, with relatively low post-graduation earnings in most programs, even this moderate debt load may strain budgets for many graduates.
What is the graduation rate at University of South Carolina Beaufort?
Only 38.6% of students graduate from USC Beaufort, meaning most students who enroll never complete their degree. This low completion rate significantly undermines the school's value proposition and increases the risk of student debt without a degree to show for it.