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Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Horry - Georgetown Technical College

SC · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Horry - Georgetown Technical College earn a median salary of $43,142 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in SC, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $45,317. The degree typically pays for itself in 21.6 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$30,320

Typical Career

$43,142

Top Performers

$59,985

Estimated break-even: 21.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$288

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,595. Most students can comfortably afford about a $288 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in South Carolina buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Accommodation & Food Services.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 38.7%
Public Administration 8.5%
Accommodation & Food Services 8.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$45,317

Nominal: $43,142 in South Carolina (COL 95.2% of national avg) · 5% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

21.6 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $20,524 $27,570 $38,224
5 Years After Graduation $30,320 $43,142 $59,985
10 Years After Graduation $34,403 $50,007 $72,142

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $43,142 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in SC, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.2% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $43,142 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9520) = $45,317 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

The earnings trajectory for graduates in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Horry - Georgetown Technical College shows a steady increase over time. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,570, rising to $43,142 five years post-graduation and reaching $50,007 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent is approximately $45,317.23, which reflects the cost of living in South Carolina, where the college is located, with a cost-of-living index of 0.952 compared to the national average of 1.0.

Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, with a notable 60.3% in the first year and 40.4% and 38.7% in subsequent years. This concentration indicates a strong alignment with growing industries that offer job stability. However, the estimated break-even point for those pursuing this degree versus a high-school-only path is approximately 21.6 years, suggesting a long-term investment in education may be necessary for a favorable return on investment. Overall, while the degree offers a pathway into essential industries, the financial benefits may take considerable time to materialize.

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See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Horry - Georgetown Technical College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.