1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Citadel Military College of South Carolina](/school/citadel-military-college-of-south-carolina/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Citadel Military College of South Carolina Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/citadel-military-college-of-south-carolina/)[Cost & aid](/school/citadel-military-college-of-south-carolina/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/citadel-military-college-of-south-carolina/admissions/)[Majors](/school/citadel-military-college-of-south-carolina/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/citadel-military-college-of-south-carolina/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Citadel Military College of South Carolina graduates earn? The reported median is $74,517 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $57,301 as its benchmark; the difference is $17,216 per year. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Citadel Military College of South Carolina who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $74,517. That figure sits at the 83rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions, and is $17,216 above the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the return pillar in the 72nd percentile. Graduates earn about $8,269 less than the model expects for similar students. That puts the gap at the 24th percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $6,305. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $14,574. The earnings scenarios show a range of $62,858 to $86,678, with $74,517 as the typical scenario. These are scenarios estimated from the program mix, not observed groups. At the upper end, Electrical Engineering graduates earn $88,869 four years after completion, from 30 degrees awarded a year. Mechanical Engineering, the largest program, reports $83,912 on 63 degrees awarded. An estimated 23.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings cover completers who are working and not enrolled, those continuing their education are outside that earnings snapshot. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $74,517 **Rank for difference from expectations** 24th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Citadel Military College of South Carolina reported median** $74,517 **Peer schools comparable schools · $17,216 below Citadel Military College of South Carolina** $57,301 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $8,269 above Citadel Military College of South Carolina** $82,786 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How many Citadel Military College of South Carolina first-year students return? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2025-26 **Returned the following fall** 86.8% Source: Citadel Military College of South Carolina Common Data Set 2025-26, B22 retention. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $62,858 to $86,678, around the reported median of $74,517. Compare the lower scenario with [Citadel Military College of South Carolina borrowing and monthly payments](/school/citadel-military-college-of-south-carolina/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $62,858 **Median · reported** $74,517 **Higher estimate** $86,678 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Citadel Military College of South Carolina graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Citadel Military College of South Carolina graduates’ reported earnings are $8,269 below that expectation, the 24th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Citadel Military College of South Carolina caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$6,305 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$14,574 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** \-$8,269 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Citadel Military College of South Carolina report the highest earnings? The highest-earning programs at Citadel Military College of South Carolina are in engineering. Electrical Engineering graduates earn a median of $88,869 four years after completion, from 30 degrees awarded. Mechanical Engineering, the largest program on campus at 63 degrees a year, follows at $83,912. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) it #198 nationally within its field. A few programs outside of engineering post strong earnings as well. Accounting graduates earn $83,337 from 19 degrees awarded, and Business Administration and Management reports $73,116 from 13 degrees. The best-ranked programs nationally are not the highest earners. Criminal Justice holds an Azimuth national rank of #16 with 56 degrees awarded and median earnings of $65,574. Kinesiology and Physical Education ranks #29 nationally and graduates earn $66,934 from 36 degrees a year. Business accounts for 29.5% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Engineering at 20.2%. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 6 programs nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Criminal Justice is the highest-ranked, at #16 nationally and #1 in South Carolina. It awarded 56 degrees and its completers earned a median of $65,574 four years after completion. The largest program with published earnings is Mechanical Engineering, with 63 degrees awarded, a national rank of #198, and median earnings of $83,912. The highest-earning program is Electrical Engineering, where graduates earn $88,869 four years out, from 30 degrees awarded. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering** $88,869 **Mechanical Engineering** $83,912 **Accounting and Related Services** $83,337 **Civil Engineering** $81,055 **Business Administration, Management and Operations** $73,116 **Political Science and Government** $68,504 **Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness** $66,934 **Criminal Justice and Corrections** $65,574 [Explore Citadel Military College of South Carolina program cohorts and field ranks](/school/citadel-military-college-of-south-carolina/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix show a downside of $62,858, a typical outcome of $74,517, and an upside of $86,678. The spread reflects the variation by field. The highest-earning program is Electrical Engineering, where graduates earn $88,869 four years after completion. Among the largest programs with published earnings, Criminal Justice sits at the lower end with $65,574. Four years after graduating, federally aided completers from Citadel Military College of South Carolina who are working and not enrolled show median earnings of $74,517. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, that earnings level is in the 83rd percentile. The estimate draws on a cohort of 799 completers, which means it reflects the overall program mix rather than the outcomes of any single field. Azimuth also publishes earnings scenarios estimated from the mix of degrees awarded to show how outcomes might vary. The downside earnings scenario is $62,858 and the upside scenario is $86,678, while the typical outcome sits at $74,517. An estimated 23.2% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).