South Carolina State University
Orangeburg, South Carolina · Public · 82.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 9/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
South Carolina State University earns a 9 ROI score and the Below Benchmark tier rating. The fundamentals are deeply concerning across virtually every dimension. In-state tuition is $11,060 (out-of-state $21,750), but the net price is $18,097 - substantially above sticker, reflecting how full COA outstrips the school's institutional aid budget. Four-year cost lands at $72,388. Average earnings six years out are just $25,000, climbing to a median $38,262 by year ten - producing a near-zero 4.5 percent earnings premium and a 65-year payback period. Median debt is $31,000, producing a 1.24 debt-to-earnings ratio: typical graduates owe more than they make annually. The 36.6 percent six-year completion rate is weak, and the 43.3 percent five-year repayment rate is critically poor. SCSU is a public Historically Black university whose mission is unquestionably valuable.
How South Carolina State University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score9/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Debt-to-earnings1.24 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate36.6% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period>50 years - In our estimate, the earnings premium over a high school completer is small next to the cost, so the cost may not be recouped within a working career.
South Carolina State University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $11,060/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $21,750/yr |
| Average net price | $18,097/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $72,388 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $38,262 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $25,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $31,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $329 |
| Estimated payback period | >50 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 36.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,934 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $11,060/year ($21,750/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $18,097/year, or roughly $72,388 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $16,846/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $24,523/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $31,000, which works out to about $329 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($25,000) and comes to 1.24, 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $16,846 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $16,968 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $20,449 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $22,587 |
| $110,001+ | $24,523 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Lowest-income families pay $16,846 net annually - with the $30,001-$48,000 bracket actually paying slightly more at $16,968, a mild inversion. Roughly $67,000 over four years for Pell-eligible students compares with $25K average six-year earnings. Pell-eligible students absolutely need to maximize federal and state aid and aggressively minimize borrowing, since the median-debt outcome here predicts ongoing struggle.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income brackets pay $16,968 ($30K-$48K), $20,449 ($48K-$75K), and $22,587 ($75K-$110K) - a steep climb. Roughly $82K-$90K over four years against weak earnings outcomes is a difficult financial recommendation.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Higher-income families pay $24,523 net annually - approximately $98K over four years. With median 10-year earnings of $38,262 and a 65-year payback flag, the financial recommendation for full-pay families is exceptionally cautious.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at South Carolina State University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Family and Consumer Sciences | $40,050 | F |
| Biology | $37,940 | F |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $48,108 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $45,061 | D |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $66,821 | F |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $41,075 | F |
| Communication and Media Studies | $33,586 | D |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $63,129 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration graduates 22 students with $25,518 first-year earnings climbing to $48,108 by year four. Median debt of $32,000 produces a 1.254 debt-to-earnings ratio - typical graduates owe more than they make in their first year - earning an F ROI grade. The four-year earnings recovery is meaningful but does not catch up to the heavy program-level debt within reasonable timeframes.
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer and Information Sciences graduates 11 students with weak first-year earnings of $30,082 climbing impressively to $66,821 by year four. Median debt of $31,000 against early-career earnings produces a 1.031 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade despite the strong four-year trajectory. Students who can persist into the four-year earnings tier do see meaningful recovery; the challenge is the early years.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Criminal Justice and Corrections graduates 20 students with $32,576 first-year and $45,061 four-year earnings against median debt of $31,000 - producing a 0.952 debt-to-earnings ratio and a D ROI grade. Career paths flow into South Carolina state agencies and federal law enforcement; the financial math is workable only if students minimize borrowing aggressively.
Biology
Biology graduates 22 students with $25,938 first-year and $37,940 four-year earnings against median debt of $31,000 - producing a 1.195 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. Most strong career paths in biology require graduate study (med school, dental school, PA, doctoral programs); the bachelor's at SCSU faces a tough recovery curve. Students should plan their full pathway.
Family and Consumer Sciences
Family and Consumer Sciences graduates 28 students - one of the larger cohorts - with $29,618 first-year and $40,050 four-year earnings against heavy median debt of $34,625 - producing a 1.169 debt-to-earnings ratio and an F ROI grade. The combination of weak earnings and elevated program-level debt is among the worst patterns on campus.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 30.9% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 43.3% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 33.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 36.4% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How South Carolina State University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 82.6% |
| Enrollment | 2,934 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 70.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,174 |
South Carolina State admits 82.6 percent of applicants - broadly accessible. SAT and ACT data are not reported in current Scorecard data, consistent with test-optional admissions. The 36.6 percent completion rate reflects significant structural retention challenges that prospective students need to plan around. Most enrolled students do not graduate within six years; persistence requires substantial commitment and family financial support.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina State University (this school) | 9 | $18,097 | $38,262 |
| Lincoln University | 10 | $19,092 | $39,463 |
| Bethune-Cookman University | 9 | $12,030 | $38,518 |
| Fort Valley State University | 9 | $10,338 | $36,666 |
| Kentucky State University | 9 | $8,040 | $36,382 |
| Virginia Union University | 9 | $13,235 | $38,275 |
Who Thrives Here
South Carolina State fits African-American students with a deep cultural and family connection to the school's HBCU heritage and South Carolina civil-rights legacy. Enrollment is 2,934 undergraduates and Pell rate runs 70.5 percent, indicating an overwhelmingly Pell-eligible, lower-income student body. Strongest student outcomes - such as they are - flow modestly to mechanical engineering technology and computer science, but heavy program-level debt drags ROI grades to F across most majors. Students should carefully weigh the heritage value against the concrete financial outcomes.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, South Carolina State University scores 9/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $18,097 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $38,262 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 36.6% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.24 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 43.3% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $31,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $25,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.24. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
South Carolina State University: Common Questions
Is South Carolina State University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. South Carolina State University scores 9/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $18,097 a year after aid against $38,262 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at more than 50 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does South Carolina State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $18,097 a year, or roughly $72,388 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do South Carolina State University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $38,262 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off South Carolina State University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at more than 50 years for South Carolina State University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do South Carolina State University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $31,000, against average earnings of $25,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.24. That is 1.0 or higher, meaning median debt is at least a full year of those earnings, so how much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at South Carolina State University?
The six-year graduation rate is 36.6%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.