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Business · Accounting Rank #246 of 714

Accountingat College of Charleston

Graduates earn $49,702/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Accounting average. Base-case 10-year earnings $715K; scenarios range from $620K to $752K depending on AI disruption.

Charleston, SC Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
74 STRONG
76
Optimistic
72
Pessimistic
Earnings
$49,702
1-year post-graduation
ROI
13.6x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$715K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
63% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at College of Charleston

College of Charleston's Accounting program produces graduates earning $49,702/yr — within striking distance of the $53,724 national average for this field.

The 13.8x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 62% task exposure — and the 18% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

The $25,000 debt-to-$49,702 income ratio translates to about 6 months of earnings. Standard loan terms should handle this comfortably.

Ranked #246 out of 714 programs, College of Charleston's Accounting offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.

Earnings growth from $49,702 to $75,550 over five years (52% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful salary progression.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$620K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score72/100
Earnings Multiple11.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$715K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple13.8x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$752K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score76/100
Earnings Multiple14.5x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to College of Charleston's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Accounting graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Financial managers
+14.8% 10-yr growth · 74,600 openings/yr
$161,700/yr
High
2
Financial risk specialists
+6.5% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$106,000/yr
High
3
Financial and investment analysts
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 25,100 openings/yr
$101,350/yr
Moderate
4
Business teachers, postsecondary
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 8,100 openings/yr
$97,270/yr
Moderate
5
Financial examiners
+18.5% 10-yr growth · 5,700 openings/yr
$90,400/yr
High
6
Budget analysts
+1.0% 10-yr growth · 3,100 openings/yr
$87,930/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Accounting

How College of Charleston stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
Georgetown University
DC · Private nonprofit
79
DW Score
$90K
1-yr earn
5.3x
ROI
Washington and Lee University
VA · Private nonprofit
74
DW Score
$82K
1-yr earn
3.1x
ROI
Santa Clara University
CA · Private nonprofit
77
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
4.2x
ROI
Villanova University
PA · Private nonprofit
75
DW Score
$78K
1-yr earn
3.4x
ROI
Lehigh University
PA · Private nonprofit
76
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
3.8x
ROI
Also at College of Charleston

Other top programs at College of Charleston

Other highest-scoring programs offered at College of Charleston, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

Consider the trade route

Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Accounting offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Accounting trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Accounting at College of Charleston

How does College of Charleston's Accounting program score?

A score of 74/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. College of Charleston's Accounting graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.

How vulnerable is Accounting to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Accounting careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 62% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.