Public · COLLEGE PAYOFF

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, SC · 19 field-and-degree records

Earnings reported for 15 · Federal debt reported for 12

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff

+$59,878 over 10 years

Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.

8.1 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+23%Estimated return after 10 years
$77,277Observed earnings · year 5
$35,693Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0

The price benchmark is $14,970 per year below this threshold.

Start with your question

What do you want to understand?

ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK

Estimated payoff over ten years.

The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.

10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
+$59,878at year 10
Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
−$262,8920
2
4
6
8
+$59,87810
Years after graduationBreak-even: 8.1 years
FEDERAL COST DATA

Four ways to read college price.

Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.

Published in-state tuition$12,570
Sticker price
Published out-of-state tuition$38,508
Sticker price
Average net price$20,723
Title IV student average
Cost of attendance$33,880
Tuition + living budget
PRICE SOURCECollege reported · annual amount · federal dataset
PUBLISHED STUDENT BUDGET · 2024–25

What makes up the annual price?

Sticker-price components reported to IPEDS. Grants and scholarships are not subtracted here.

Tuition and required fees$12,570$38,508 for out-of-state students
Books and supplies$9,741Estimated academic-year allowance
On-campus housing and food$9,705$2,448 in other expenses reported separately
Estimated on-campus total$34,464Sum of available published components, before aid

Living off campus: $22,275 housing and food allowance plus $9,499 in other expenses.

Do not confuse this with net price. Net price subtracts average grants and scholarships. DegreeVerdict continues to use the separately labeled average net price in its standard college ROI scenario.

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$77,277 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not your personal aid offer. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
HOW STUDENTS ATTEND · 2023-24

Online study is a meaningful part of the student experience.

IPEDS enrollment counts show course delivery across the whole institution. They do not indicate whether a specific degree can be completed online.

Fully online25%
1,070 students
Some online courses29%
1,268 students
No online courses46%
1,987 students
Undergraduates age 25+9.6%
Share of undergraduate enrollment

Institution-level attendance context from IPEDS. Program delivery is reported separately on degree pages and in the program directory. These figures do not enter ROI.

College identity and local contextAccreditation, institution type, dual enrollment and state prices
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE

Institution details

Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.

Accreditor
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
Main award level
Bachelor’s degrees
Campus setting
City
Admissions
Selective admission
Delivery
Campus or mixed delivery
Federal designation
No special designation reported
Sources: College Scorecard June 2026 release and IPEDS 2024 institutional characteristics.
DUAL-ENROLLMENT CONTEXT · 2024

1 high-school students took college courses.

IPEDS counts students enrolled in college credit while still in high school. A large dual-enrollment population can shape headline enrollment figures, especially at community colleges.

This is participation, not a college completion rate. It does not indicate how many students later enrolled after high school, earned a credential or entered the workforce.

STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024

Prices in South Carolina run 6% below the U.S. level.

BEA Regional Price Parities compare price levels across states. A value of 100 equals the national average.

Overall6% below U.S.
Goods4% below U.S.
Housing20% below U.S.
Utilities12% below U.S.
Other services2% below U.S.

Use this as geographic context, not a personal budget. It describes the state, not the campus neighborhood, and does not measure tuition or student-specific housing.

DegreeVerdict does not adjust reported earnings, college prices or ROI using this index.

Download the official BEA source →
THE NUMBERS BEHIND THE VERDICT

What it costs and what graduates earn

$20,723Average net price / year
$33,880Cost of attendance
$21,096Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$224/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$77,277Median earnings · year 5 after completion
75.0%Completion rate
22.7%Admission rate
1,208Average SAT score
2,705Student size

Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. It does not include Parent PLUS or private loans. We show admissions scores only when a valid federal value is available.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What the numbers say about Citadel Military College of South Carolina

What does Citadel Military College of South Carolina cost?

Citadel Military College of South Carolina reports an average annual net price of $20,723 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.

What do Citadel Military College of South Carolina graduates earn?

The observed median earnings figure is $77,277 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.

How much federal debt do Citadel Military College of South Carolina graduates have?

Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $21,096. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.

Is every degree at Citadel Military College of South Carolina worth the same?

No. The current release contains 19 field-and-degree records for Citadel Military College of South Carolina; 15 report year-4 earnings and 12 report federal debt. Outcomes can differ substantially by field and degree level.

DEBT AFTER COLLEGE

Are borrowers making progress?

Repayment progress, default and debt at exit describe different federal borrower cohorts. They are shown separately and do not change the ROI estimate.

1 year68%Paid down at least $1 of principal
3 years71%Paid down at least $1 of principal
5 years75%Paid down at least $1 of principal
7 years79%Paid down at least $1 of principal
Students who completed$21,096Median federal debt · 781 borrowers
Students who withdrew$10,886Median federal debt · 468 borrowers
Three-year cohort default rate0%Federal cohort measure, not the share currently behind on payments

Source: College Scorecard. Repayment progress is the share of borrowers who reduced principal by at least $1 at the stated measurement point. Debt covers federal student loans; Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. Cohorts and reporting periods differ across measures.

2024–25 ENROLLMENT

Who studied here during the year

4,426Students enrolled at any point
2,977Undergraduate students
1,449Graduate students

Unduplicated students enrolled at any point from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. This full-year measure is different from a fall headcount and does not enter ROI.

More student and earnings detailPrice by family income, retention, equity and common industries
PRICE BY FAMILY INCOME

Average net price is not one price

Federal averages for aided students in each family-income band. Your aid offer can differ.

$0–30k$15,430
$30–48k$16,456
$48–75k$18,140
$75–110k$20,620
$110k+$24,047
LONGER-TERM CONTEXT

What happens beyond the first earnings measure

Year 5$77,277
Year 6$60,168
Year 10$72,085
Full-time retention
85.8%
Part-time retention
Not available
Completion within 200% of normal time
70.9%

Earnings timepoints may use different historical cohorts and should not be read as one group’s guaranteed salary growth.

WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS

Outcomes are not the same for every family.

These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.

Pell Grant students75%

Complete within 150% of the expected time

64% received a Pell Grant within eight years
Parent borrowing$40,440

Median Parent PLUS debt

423 parent borrowers in the reported cohort
First-generation students$17,768

Median federal student debt

66% making progress in repayment after three years
Student family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$73,591Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$72,210Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$71,379Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income64%
Middle income70%
Higher income74%
Undergraduate student composition
White73%
Black8%
Hispanic10%
Asian2%

Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.

INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW

How earnings develop by field

Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.

Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Master’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$85,756Year 1
$105,799Year 5
$131,944Year 10
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 26
$36,857Year 1
$55,464Year 5
$119,554Year 10
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 14
$72,648Year 1
$92,606Year 5
$116,983Year 10
Accounting and Related Services.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 52
$57,268Year 1
$84,666Year 5
$96,572Year 10
Anthropology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 45
$48,878Year 1
$62,818Year 5
$90,782Year 10
History.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 54
$35,391Year 1
$60,837Year 5
$85,242Year 10
English Language and Literature, General.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 23
Not availableYear 1
Not availableYear 5
$77,901Year 10
Clinical Psychology.Bachelor’s degree · Broad federal field 42
Not availableYear 1
$64,085Year 5
$77,901Year 10

Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.

NATIONAL CONTEXT

How this college compares

Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.

94thEarnings percentile
75thCompletion percentile
WHAT STANDS OUT

A faster read on this college

These summaries use every reportable field-and-credential record at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.

$68,504Median year-4 earnings across reportable program categories
$24,733Median federal debt across categories that report debt
53%Of comparable categories above their same-field national benchmark
EARNINGS OVER TIME

What graduates earned in later years

$49,737Year 1
$74,517Year 4
$77,277Year 5

Each year can represent a different federal cohort, so the points do not track the same people over time.

DEGREES AT THIS COLLEGE

Your choice of degree can change the payoff.

Graduate earnings differ by field and credential, even within the same college.

1Business Administration, Management and Operations · Master's Degree$107,8242Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$88,8693Mechanical Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$83,9124Accounting and Related Services · Bachelor's Degree$83,3375Civil Engineering · Bachelor's Degree$81,0556Business Administration, Management and Operations · Bachelor's Degree$73,1167Educational Administration and Supervision · Master's Degree$73,0858Political Science and Government · Bachelor's Degree$68,504

Observed year-4 earnings · compare the same field and credential across colleges

Strongest relative outcomes

Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark

This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.

1HistoryBachelor's Degree · $64,869 reported+28%vs same-degree national median$25,524federal debt2Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree · $66,934 reported+23%vs same-degree national median$22,250federal debt3Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's Degree · $65,574 reported+18%vs same-degree national median$24,966federal debt4Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree · $83,337 reported+9%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's Degree · $68,504 reported+8%vs same-degree national median$20,817federal debt6Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree · $73,116 reported+7%vs same-degree national median$22,726federal debt
BUILD A REAL SHORTLIST

Comparable colleges in SC

Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.

Clemson, SC

Clemson University

Annual net price
$22,253
Observed earnings · year 5
$72,263
Modeled 10-year ROI
+1%
Open college profile →
Columbia, SC

University of South Carolina-Columbia

Annual net price
$22,811
Observed earnings · year 5
$62,564
Modeled 10-year ROI
-35%
Open college profile →
Charleston, SC

College of Charleston

Annual net price
$18,960
Observed earnings · year 5
$54,011
Modeled 10-year ROI
-65%
Open college profile →
Spartanburg, SC

University of South Carolina-Upstate

Annual net price
$13,557
Observed earnings · year 5
$52,851
Modeled 10-year ROI
-66%
Open college profile →
DEGREE OUTCOMES

Compare fields and degree levels

Showing all 19 field-and-degree records in the current release.

Major or fieldDegree levelEarnings, year 4Federal debt2024–25 graduates
Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's Degree$107,824Not availableNot reported
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringBachelor's Degree$88,869$27,000Not reported
Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's Degree$83,912$19,5000
Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's Degree$83,337Not availableNot reported
Civil EngineeringBachelor's Degree$81,055$24,5002
Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's Degree$73,116$22,72612
Educational Administration and SupervisionMaster's Degree$73,085Not available6
Political Science and GovernmentBachelor's Degree$68,504$20,817Not reported
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's Degree$66,934$22,2501
Criminal Justice and CorrectionsBachelor's Degree$65,574$24,966Not reported
HistoryBachelor's Degree$64,869$25,5245
Clinical, Counseling and Applied PsychologyMaster's Degree$59,438Not available10
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessMaster's Degree$59,347Not availableNot reported
Student Counseling and Personnel ServicesMaster's Degree$57,347Not availableNot reported
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsMaster's Degree$57,004Not availableNot reported
Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's DegreeNot available$21,3750
Biology, GeneralBachelor's DegreeNot available$27,000Not reported
Intelligence, Command Control and Information OperationsBachelor's DegreeNot available$26,4998
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's DegreeNot available$29,500Not reported

Graduate counts come from IPEDS and group related majors into the same federal field. Missing earnings or debt values remain labeled as unavailable.

Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.