Strayer University-South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina · Private For-Profit
ROI Score: 9/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Strayer University-South Carolina posts an ROI score of 9 out of 100, with a clear Below Benchmark designation. Every sub-score is weak: a 16.7% completion rate (only one in six entering students finishes), a 41.6-year payback period, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.058 (graduates owe more than a full year of gross income), and a 42.4% three-year repayment rate. Median earnings 10 years after entry sit at $40,092, just $1,692 above earnings six years out, signaling almost no career-progression premium for completing the credential. Tuition is $13,920 in-state and out-of-state, but the net price climbs to $17,979 and the four-year total runs $71,916. Median federal debt of $40,621 against early-career earnings under $40,000 puts most borrowers into income-driven repayment from day one. The Greenville campus serves a heavily Pell-eligible adult population (82% Pell rate) but is not delivering the earnings outcomes those students are paying for. The numbers here are honest about a fundamental mismatch between price and result.
How Strayer University-South Carolina 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-earnings1.06 - Median debt is larger than one year of average earnings six years after entry (a ratio above 1.0).
- 6-year graduation rate16.7% - 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 period41.6 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Strayer University-South Carolina
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $13,920/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $13,920/yr |
| Average net price | $17,979/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $71,916 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $40,092 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $38,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $40,621 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $431 |
| Estimated payback period | 41.6 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 16.7% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,868 |
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: $13,920/year, 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 $17,979/year, or roughly $71,916 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 N/A/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay N/A/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $40,621, which works out to about $431 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($38,400) and comes to 1.06, 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 | N/A |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,979 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | N/A |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | N/A |
| $110,001+ | N/A |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
The $0-$30,000 bracket is not reported, which is unusual given the 82% Pell rate. Treat the published $17,979 net price as a likely floor for low-income students. With median 10-year earnings of $40,092 and $40,621 in median debt, the math does not pencil out: students will leave with debt roughly equal to one year of pre-tax earnings, and most will not finish the degree to earn that.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $30,001-$48,000 bracket pays a reported $17,979 net price. The remaining brackets ($48,001-$75,000, $75,001-$110,000, $110,001+) are not reported. Paying nearly $18,000 a year for a credential with 41.6-year payback and one-in-six odds of completion is a hard recommendation against.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Net price for higher-income brackets is not reported, but at a for-profit with limited merit aid expect close to the $17,979 figure or higher. High-income families are unlikely to choose this campus, but if they do, the absolute dollars lost to a 16.7% completion rate matter more than the marginal aid difference.
Earnings by Major
Top 5 most popular majors at Strayer University-South Carolina with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | $64,016 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $53,916 | F |
| Computer and Information Sciences | $82,304 | D |
| Accounting | $66,108 | F |
| Information Science | $87,413 | D |
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 and Management
By far the largest program with 144 graduates, this BBA earns an F grade. Median first-year earnings of $55,431 climb only modestly to $64,016 by year four, while median debt of $56,517 produces a 1.02 debt-to-earnings ratio. Borrowers leave owing more than they make in their first year, on a flat earnings curve.
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Thirty graduates earn an F grade with the worst ratio in the program mix. Median first-year earnings of $43,405 against $56,937 median debt produce a 1.312 debt-to-earnings ratio. South Carolina law enforcement, corrections, and security roles overwhelmingly hire from associate degree programs and academy training; this bachelor's credential adds debt without changing the entry-level salary band.
Computer and Information Sciences
Fourteen graduates earn a D grade, the best of the listed programs. First-year earnings of $67,315 and four-year earnings of $82,304 are genuinely competitive, but $50,737 in median debt against a 0.754 debt-to-earnings ratio still means a long payback. The earnings here suggest students who can complete this program land real tech jobs; the question is whether they could have landed the same role through a community college transfer plus certifications at a third the cost.
Accounting
Eight graduates earn an F grade with $52,373 first-year earnings and $54,989 in median debt for a 1.05 debt-to-earnings ratio. Accounting is a credentialed field where the CPA pathway dominates earnings outcomes, and the debt load makes the certification climb harder.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 33.8% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 42.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 30.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 37.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Strayer University-South Carolina’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2010-2024).
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
| Enrollment | 1,868 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 82.0% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,381 |
Strayer-South Carolina does not report an admission rate, SAT, or ACT range in current Scorecard data. The 16.7% completion rate is the more revealing selectivity signal: even with no admissions screen at the front door, roughly five of every six entering students do not complete. Prospective students should treat that completion number as the de facto barrier and ask hard questions about persistence supports.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strayer University-South Carolina (this school) | 9 | $17,979 | $40,092 |
| Colorado Technical University-Colorado Springs | 9 | $16,745 | $37,180 |
| Baker College | 9 | $13,157 | $35,833 |
| Strayer University-Georgia | 9 | $18,318 | $40,092 |
| South University-Columbia | 8 | $27,693 | $34,421 |
| South University-Tampa | 8 | $20,434 | $34,421 |
Head-to-Head ROI Comparisons
See Strayer University-South Carolina side by side with similar schools on ROI, cost, earnings, and debt.
Who Thrives Here
With 1,868 students enrolled and an 82% Pell grant rate, Strayer-South Carolina serves an almost entirely low-income, working-adult population in upstate South Carolina. Students who already have an employer paying full freight and who only need the credential to unlock a known internal promotion can sometimes make the math work. For students paying their own way without employer sponsorship, the 16.7% completion rate and 41.6-year payback combine into outcomes that rarely justify the debt.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Strayer University-South Carolina scores 9/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $17,979 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $40,092 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 41.6 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 16.7% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 42.4% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $40,621 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $38,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06. 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.
Strayer University-South Carolina: Common Questions
Is Strayer University-South Carolina worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Strayer University-South Carolina scores 9/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $17,979 a year after aid against $40,092 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 41.6 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Strayer University-South Carolina 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 $17,979 a year, or roughly $71,916 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 Strayer University-South Carolina graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $40,092 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 Strayer University-South Carolina?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 41.6 years for Strayer University-South Carolina. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Strayer University-South Carolina graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $40,621, against average earnings of $38,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.06. 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 Strayer University-South Carolina?
The six-year graduation rate is 16.7%. 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.