Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
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.
USC Upstate demonstrates steady earnings growth over time, with graduates progressing from $43,339 six years after enrollment to $46,601 at eight years and $48,587 at ten years. This trajectory represents 12.1% growth from the six-year to ten-year measurement period, indicating consistent career advancement for graduates.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings align with peer institutions — outcomes are in line with similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $22,310 in debt with typical earnings.
USC Upstate graduates carry median debt of $22,310, which aligns closely with the peer median of $21,105 and falls within typical ranges for public institutions. Student debt spans from $7,000 at the 25th percentile to $25,188 at the 75th percentile, indicating variation in borrowing patterns among students.
USC Upstate performs around the national average for return on investment, ranking at the 49.8th percentile with typical tier performance. Graduates earn $3,847 beyond expectations compared to similar students nationally, placing the institution at the 70.3rd percentile for earnings uplift and representing above average value-added performance.
Approximately 28.1% of USC Upstate graduates continue to graduate or professional study, based on program mix analysis with medium confidence. This c...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
USC Upstate's strongest earning outcomes concentrate in health and technology programs, with Adult Health Nursing leading at $67,071 median earnings for 319 graduates. Artificial Intelligence follows at $56,132 for 59 graduates, while Business Administration produces $50,434 for 179 graduates.
Lower-earning programs include Biology at $28,960 and Aerospace Physiology at $25,580, reflecting fields typically requiring graduate education for career advancement. The program diversity supports different student goals, with nursing providing immediate high-earning career entry while science programs prepare students for advanced study.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings distribution at USC Upstate spans from $32,831 at the 25th percentile to $71,756 at the 75th percentile, creating a 2.2:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. Low-income graduates earn $38,100, indicating that students from lower-income backgrounds achieve meaningful economic advancement through their USC Upstate education.