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Physical Sciences · Geosciences Rank #10 of 103

Geosciencesat College of Charleston

Graduates earn $49,786/yr in their first year — about 25.0% above the national Geosciences average. Base-case 10-year earnings $567K; scenarios range from $526K to $576K depending on AI disruption.

Charleston, SC Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
51 AVERAGE
52
Optimistic
50
Pessimistic
Earnings
$49,786
1-year post-graduation
ROI
10.5x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$567K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
50% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at College of Charleston

The College of Charleston's geosciences program stands out nationally, a testament to its strong faculty and location. Being situated in a vibrant coastal city like Charleston creates a natural laboratory for studying critical issues like sea-level rise, coastal erosion, water resource management, and natural hazard mitigation. This environment fosters exceptional hands-on learning and research opportunities, often leading to internships and post-graduation roles with environmental consulting firms, state and federal agencies (like the SC Department of Natural Resources or NOAA), or civil engineering companies focused on infrastructure and resilience.

The program likely emphasizes practical skills highly valued in these sectors, from fieldwork and data interpretation to project management, positioning graduates for impactful careers where real-world problem-solving is key. While AI's role in data analysis is growing, the human element of on-site assessment, client interaction, and strategic decision-making in these roles remains indispensable. To maximize your prospects, actively seek out these applied research and internship experiences during your studies.

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
$526K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score50/100
Earnings Multiple10.1x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$567K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score51/100
Earnings Multiple10.9x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$576K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score52/100
Earnings Multiple11.1x
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 Geosciences 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
Natural sciences managers
+3.7% 10-yr growth · 8,500 openings/yr
$161,180/yr
High
2
Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary
+2.6% 10-yr growth · 1,000 openings/yr
$101,390/yr
Moderate
3
Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers
+3.2% 10-yr growth · 2,000 openings/yr
$99,240/yr
Moderate
4
Hydrologists
-0.1% 10-yr growth · 500 openings/yr
$92,060/yr
High
5
Chemistry teachers, postsecondary
+2.2% 10-yr growth · 1,900 openings/yr
$86,220/yr
Moderate
6
Hydrologic technicians
-2.1% 10-yr growth · 400 openings/yr
$58,570/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 Geosciences

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

Highest earnings
Iowa State University
IA · Public
51
DW Score
$50K
1-yr earn
12.0x
ROI
University of South Florida
FL · Public
58
DW Score
$49K
1-yr earn
22.9x
ROI
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
MI · Public
44
DW Score
$46K
1-yr earn
7.1x
ROI
Top score
University of Wyoming
WY · Public
59
DW Score
$46K
1-yr earn
24.6x
ROI
East Carolina University
NC · Public
56
DW Score
$45K
1-yr earn
20.1x
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.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Geosciences at College of Charleston

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Geosciences at College of Charleston?

A score of 51/100 puts this program in competitive territory — solid outcomes, though not at the top of the Geosciences field.

Will AI replace Geosciences careers?

With 47% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $525,639 in decade earnings vs $576,215 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.