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Business · Finance Rank #85 of 431

Financeat College of Charleston

Graduates earn $54,634/yr in their first year — about 1.0% below the national Finance average. Base-case 10-year earnings $804K; scenarios range from $695K to $848K depending on AI disruption.

Charleston, SC Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
80 STRONG
82
Optimistic
78
Pessimistic
Earnings
$54,634
1-year post-graduation
ROI
16.1x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$804K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
59% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at College of Charleston

First-year earnings of $54,634 track close to the $55,340 national median for Finance programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.

With a 15.5x return on in-state tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 18% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Finance career paths face displacement, but others in the field are more insulated.

At $20,500 in median debt against $54,634 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.

College of Charleston ranks #85 among 431 Finance programs, placing it in the top 5% nationally by our financial outcomes measure.

The $54,634-to-$88,966 earnings arc over five years reflects a 63% gain — well above average career growth for recent graduates.

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
$695K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score78/100
Earnings Multiple13.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$804K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score80/100
Earnings Multiple15.5x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$848K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score82/100
Earnings Multiple16.3x
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 Finance 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
Chief executives
+4.3% 10-yr growth · 22,200 openings/yr
$206,420/yr
High
2
Financial managers
+14.8% 10-yr growth · 74,600 openings/yr
$161,700/yr
High
3
Financial risk specialists
+6.5% 10-yr growth · 4,800 openings/yr
$106,000/yr
High
4
General and operations managers
+4.4% 10-yr growth · 308,700 openings/yr
$102,950/yr
Moderate
5
Personal financial advisors
+9.6% 10-yr growth · 24,100 openings/yr
$102,140/yr
High
6
Financial and investment analysts
+5.7% 10-yr growth · 25,100 openings/yr
$101,350/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Finance

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

Highest earnings
University of Pennsylvania
PA · Private nonprofit
82
DW Score
$123K
1-yr earn
8.2x
ROI
Georgetown University
DC · Private nonprofit
80
DW Score
$106K
1-yr earn
4.9x
ROI
Washington University in St Louis
MO · Private nonprofit
81
DW Score
$103K
1-yr earn
6.6x
ROI
University of Notre Dame
IN · Private nonprofit
79
DW Score
$99K
1-yr earn
4.5x
ROI
Wake Forest University
NC · Private nonprofit
78
DW Score
$86K
1-yr earn
4.4x
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 Finance offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.

Compare Finance trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →
FAQ

Frequently asked about Finance at College of Charleston

What does a 80/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Finance at College of Charleston?

At 80/100, this is a high-performing program. The DegreeOutlook Score combines earnings, AI resilience, and ROI — and this program delivers on all three.

Should I worry about AI if I study Finance at College of Charleston?

The 55% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.

Is College of Charleston one of the best schools for Finance?

Among 431 Finance programs, College of Charleston's #85 position reflects consistently above-average results across earnings, ROI, and employment probability.