# Citadel Military College of South Carolina: Mechanical Engineering (bachelor's)

Charleston, SC. IPEDS 217864, CIP 14.19. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/citadel-military-college-of-south-carolina/majors/mechanical-engineering

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $52,602
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $83,912 (U.S. median for this major: $91,190 across 316 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $19,500 (U.S. median $24,876)
- Rank in SC: 3 of 3 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the SC median for this major (3 colleges, $91,028): -$7,116
- Versus the U.S. median: -$7,278

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.16 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $83,912 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in SC (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $15,430 | $64,189 | 1.3 years |
| 30-48k | $16,456 | $68,457 | 1.4 years |
| 48-75k | $18,140 | $75,462 | 1.5 years |
| 75-110k | $20,620 | $85,779 | 1.7 years |
| 110k+ | $24,047 | $100,036 | 2.0 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Mechanical Engineering at SC colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Carolina-Columbia | $91,296 | $25,000 | $22,811 | 79% |
| Clemson University | $91,028 | $24,125 | $22,253 | 87% |
| Citadel Military College of South Carolina | $83,912 | $19,500 | $20,723 | 75% |

## Careers
- Mechanical engineer (SOC 17-2140): median wage $110,820 Charleston-North Charleston, SC, $104,580 SC, $104,110 U.S.; U.S. jobs 11.2% by 2035
- Cost Estimators (SOC 13-1051): median wage $73,130 Charleston-North Charleston, SC, $70,260 SC, $78,740 U.S.; U.S. jobs -3.1% by 2035
- Architectural and Engineering Managers (SOC 11-9041): median wage $174,040 Charleston-North Charleston, SC, $169,040 SC, $171,270 U.S.; U.S. jobs 5.5% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).