University of South Carolina-Columbia English: earnings, debt & careers

English graduates of University of South Carolina-Columbia earn a median $45,185 four years after graduating ($25,729 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $26,000. That is $3,763 below the U.S. median for English graduates ($48,948 across 571 colleges), and ranks 4th of 10 South Carolina colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$45,185

U.S. median for this major: $48,948.

College Scorecard field of study; 92 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$25,729

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$26,000

About 58% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,552.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$22,811 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $31,638. College Scorecard.

University of South Carolina-Columbia English: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

University of South Carolina-Columbia graduates$45,185
South Carolina median (10 colleges)$42,083 (+$3,102)
U.S. median (571 colleges)$48,948 (−$3,763)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

English nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses University of South Carolina-Columbia's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$12,634$52,1784.5 years
$30–48k$14,953$61,7565.3 years
$48–75k$19,859$82,0187.0 years
$75–110k$24,478$101,0948.7 years
$110k+$28,125$116,15610.0 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (69% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of English graduates 4 years after graduating ($45,185) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $11,669 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

English at South Carolina colleges

Every South Carolina college we cover that reports English graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Wofford College$58,036$25,941$18,73284%
2College of Charleston$51,705$25,000$18,96066%
3Clemson University$50,582$23,123$22,25387%
4University of South Carolina-Columbia$45,185$26,000$22,81179%
5Winthrop University$44,068$24,500$15,34357%
6Francis Marion University$40,098$30,999$11,38643%
7University of South Carolina Aiken$38,980$27,000$11,64140%
8Coastal Carolina University$37,707$26,000$13,96648%
9University of South Carolina-Upstate$36,785$25,000$13,55743%
10Lander University$36,568$22,644$15,36350%

21 more South Carolina colleges offer English but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for English graduates

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Columbia area$60,280
South Carolina$62,580
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Proofreaders and Copy Markers

South Carolina$42,900
U.S.$51,120

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.9% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at University of South Carolina-Columbia, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About University of South Carolina-Columbia

Related majors at University of South Carolina-Columbia

University of South Carolina-Columbia English questions

How much do University of South Carolina-Columbia English graduates earn?

English graduates of University of South Carolina-Columbia earn a median $45,185 four years after graduating and $25,729 one year after. The U.S. median for English graduates across 571 colleges is $48,948.

How much debt do University of South Carolina-Columbia English graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for English graduates of University of South Carolina-Columbia is $26,000, about 58% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,552.

Is University of South Carolina-Columbia a good school for English in South Carolina?

On pay, English graduates of University of South Carolina-Columbia earn $45,185 four years out, $3,102 above the median for the same major across 10 South Carolina colleges ($42,083) and $3,763 below the U.S. median ($48,948). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does University of South Carolina-Columbia rank for English in South Carolina?

Of 10 South Carolina colleges reporting English graduate earnings, University of South Carolina-Columbia ranks 4th. The highest is Wofford College at $58,036.

What jobs do English graduates get?

A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $60,280 in the Columbia, SC area and $72,040 nationally. Others include proofreaders and copy markers.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “University of South Carolina-Columbia English: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-south-carolina-columbia/majors/english (College Scorecard and BLS data).