Best Bachelor's Degree Programs at University of South Carolina-Columbia by ROI
Every Bachelor's Degree major at University of South Carolina-Columbia ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Programs Analyzed
49
Majors with salary data
Average 20-Yr Net ROI
-$49,119
Across all programs
Average Annual Cost
$32,840
Cost of attendance
| # | Major | 20-Yr Net ROI | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Avg Debt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Chemical Engineering.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$589,110 | $79,846 | $32,840 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 2 |
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$526,450 | $76,713 | $32,840 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 3 |
International Business.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$469,255 | $73,730 | $32,840 | $25,174 | Full ROI → |
| 4 |
Mechanical Engineering.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$452,030 | $72,857 | $32,840 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 5 |
Civil Engineering.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$404,190 | $70,600 | $32,840 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 6 |
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$375,095 | $68,870 | $32,840 | $22,922 | Full ROI → |
| 7 |
Computer and Information Sciences, General.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$353,632 | $67,954 | $32,840 | $25,250 | Full ROI → |
| 8 |
Computer Engineering.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$342,670 | $67,524 | $32,840 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 9 |
Finance and Financial Management Services.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$305,370 | $65,524 | $32,840 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 10 |
Accounting and Related Services.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$262,714 | $63,447 | $32,840 | $25,826 | Full ROI → |
| 11 |
Business/Managerial Economics.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$244,130 | $62,462 | $32,840 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 12 |
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$208,482 | $60,629 | $32,840 | $24,250 | Full ROI → |
| 13 |
Biomedical/Medical Engineering.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$201,200 | $60,383 | $32,840 | $26,000 | Full ROI → |
| 14 |
Insurance.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$183,306 | $59,488 | $32,840 | $25,995 | Full ROI → |
| 15 |
Mathematics.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$135,515 | $56,876 | $32,840 | $22,700 | Full ROI → |
| 16 |
Marketing.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$121,337 | $56,238 | $32,840 | $23,750 | Full ROI → |
| 17 |
Health and Physical Education/Fitness.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$19,590 | $51,235 | $32,840 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 18 |
Chemistry.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
+$6,427 | $50,580 | $32,840 | $25,046 | Full ROI → |
| 19 |
Business Administration, Management and Operations.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$14,060 | $49,620 | $32,840 | $26,000 | Full ROI → |
| 20 |
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$71,797 | $46,615 | $32,840 | $24,250 | Full ROI → |
| 21 |
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$98,885 | $45,189 | $32,840 | $23,189 | Full ROI → |
| 22 |
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$102,950 | $45,243 | $32,840 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 23 |
Economics.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$116,703 | $44,357 | $32,840 | $24,062 | Full ROI → |
| 24 |
Radio, Television, and Digital Communication.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$137,625 | $43,138 | $32,840 | $21,500 | Full ROI → |
| 25 |
General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$164,981 | $42,005 | $32,840 | $24,979 | Full ROI → |
| 26 |
Geography and Cartography.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$167,667 | $41,754 | $32,840 | $23,250 | Full ROI → |
| 27 |
Hospitality Administration/Management.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$189,540 | $40,846 | $32,840 | $26,000 | Full ROI → |
| 28 |
History.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$198,702 | $40,155 | $32,840 | $22,550 | Full ROI → |
| 29 |
Social Work.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$201,300 | $40,123 | $32,840 | $24,000 | Full ROI → |
| 30 |
Journalism.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$205,360 | $40,055 | $32,840 | $26,000 | Full ROI → |
| 31 |
Criminal Justice and Corrections.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$205,670 | $39,972 | $32,840 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 32 |
Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$211,190 | $39,696 | $32,840 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 33 |
Political Science and Government.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$216,910 | $39,410 | $32,840 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 34 |
Public Health.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$220,113 | $39,247 | $32,840 | $24,958 | Full ROI → |
| 35 |
Natural Resources Conservation and Research.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$238,585 | $38,360 | $32,840 | $25,500 | Full ROI → |
| 36 |
Music.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$254,670 | $37,657 | $32,840 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 37 |
Biology, General.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$268,197 | $36,820 | $32,840 | $24,620 | Full ROI → |
| 38 |
International Relations and National Security Studies.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$282,835 | $35,810 | $32,840 | $20,500 | Full ROI → |
| 39 |
Sociology.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$286,510 | $36,065 | $32,840 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 40 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$320,100 | $34,318 | $32,840 | $26,000 | Full ROI → |
| 41 |
Research and Experimental Psychology.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$325,937 | $33,908 | $32,840 | $24,250 | Full ROI → |
| 42 |
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$327,729 | $33,457 | $32,840 | $18,896 | Full ROI → |
| 43 |
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$332,703 | $33,538 | $32,840 | $23,780 | Full ROI → |
| 44 |
English Language and Literature, General.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$359,160 | $32,365 | $32,840 | $26,000 | Full ROI → |
| 45 |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$370,220 | $31,812 | $32,840 | $26,000 | Full ROI → |
| 46 |
Philosophy.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$388,490 | $30,831 | $32,840 | $25,000 | Full ROI → |
| 47 |
Fine and Studio Arts.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$395,110 | $30,635 | $32,840 | $27,000 | Full ROI → |
| 48 |
Film/Video and Photographic Arts.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$403,162 | $30,148 | $32,840 | $25,750 | Full ROI → |
| 49 |
Anthropology.
Grad rate: 78.0% |
-$530,477 | $23,643 | $32,840 | $23,687 | Full ROI → |
How ROI is calculated
20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.