Strong graduate outcomes with earnings well above peer institutions. Robust earnings growth over time.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Earnings at The Citadel show steady growth from early career through mid-career periods. Graduates earn $60,168 six years after enrollment, rising to $67,667 at eight years and reaching $72,085 at ten years.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Strong relative performance — graduates earn notably more than peers at comparable institutions.
Financial justification for the investment.
Excellent affordability. Median debt of $21,096 is well under annual earnings, enabling comfortable repayment.
The Citadel graduates carry a median debt load of $21,096, essentially matching the peer median of $21,105. Debt levels span from $8,094 at the 25th percentile to $26,000 at the 75th percentile, indicating moderate variation in borrowing patterns.
The Citadel demonstrates excellent return on investment, ranking at the 93.4th percentile nationally with top-tier performance. Graduates earn $11,652 beyond expectations compared to similar students, placing the institution at the 87.5th percentile for earnings uplift.
Approximately 21.8% of The Citadel graduates continue to graduate or professional study, with medium confidence in this estimate based on program mix ...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Civil Engineering leads The Citadel's earnings outcomes at $80,055, followed closely by Electrical and Electronics Engineering at $79,967. These engineering programs drive much of the institution's strong return performance, delivering outcomes that substantially exceed the median.
Business Administration graduates earn $63,953, while Exercise Science produces $62,053 earnings. Even programs with more modest outcomes, such as American Government and Politics at $52,055, benefit from the military college's leadership development approach.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
The earnings distribution at The Citadel spans from $48,175 at the 25th percentile to $94,558 at the 75th percentile, creating a 1.96:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. This moderate spread reflects focused career paths with less variation than comprehensive universities.
