Updated March 2026 · College Scorecard data
Is Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Worth It?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities lands in the middle with a national average ROI Score of 63/100 across 96 reporting schools — a Grade C profile where outcomes vary sharply by institution, and school choice matters more than usual. Across the field, median debt is $28K against $45K in first-year earnings — a healthy debt load — repayment falls comfortably under the 8% rule on a standard 10-year plan.
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ROI at a Glance
lands in the middle with a national average ROI Score of 63/100 across 96 reporting schools — a Grade C profile where outcomes vary sharply by institution, and school choice matters more than usual. The graduation-weighted average across reporting institutions is the cleanest single number for the field, but it hides the spread — top programs like Baptist University of the Americas run far ahead of the bottom of the table. School choice within Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities matters because the major-level number is a starting point, not a prediction.
Earnings rise sharply from $45K in year 1 to $61K by year 5 — 35% growth in four years. That is a strong promotion curve, common in technology, engineering, and finance tracks where early-career skill compounding pays off fast. The five-year earnings trajectory is one of the strongest signals of long-run career fit; a flat curve suggests the major leads to roles where seniority does not pay off without graduate credentials, while a steep curve indicates fast skill compounding inside the field.
Best in field: Baptist University of the Americas leads the field with a 68/100 ROI Score (Grade B). Median debt at completion is $13K against $45K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.29x. Worst in field: College of Our Lady of the Elms sits at the bottom of the field with a 52/100 ROI Score (Grade C). Median debt at completion is $42K against $45K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.93x.
Debt-to-Income at the Field Level
At a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61x, Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities shows a healthy debt load — repayment falls comfortably under the 8% rule on a standard 10-year plan. Federal financial-aid research uses the “8% rule” — monthly student loan payments under 8% of gross monthly income — which translates to debt below roughly 0.75x annual earnings on a standard 10-year plan. Programs running above 1.0x typically need income-driven repayment to stay current; above 1.5x, the math rarely works without forgiveness mechanics or an unusually steep career ramp. For borrower-rights and repayment guidance, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the most accessible federal source.
Debt vs Earnings by School
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities by School
How Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities’s ROI Score Is Calculated
The Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities ROI Score is a weighted composite of five financial-aid signals: debt-to-income (35%), earnings premium over a high-school diploma (25%), 10-year BLS job-growth outlook (20%), graduation rate (10%), and debt vs. the national average (10%). Each school + major combination is scored individually, then aggregated up to the field level. The grade thresholds (A ≥ 80, B ≥ 65, C ≥ 50, D ≥ 35, F < 35) are calibrated so a typical break-even degree lands in the C range. Read the full methodology.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree worth it?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities lands in the middle with a national average ROI Score of 63/100 across 96 reporting schools — a Grade C profile where outcomes vary sharply by institution, and school choice matters more than usual. The dominant signal is debt-to-income: at a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.61x on average, the field shows a healthy debt load — repayment falls comfortably under the 8% rule on a standard 10-year plan. Outcomes vary sharply by institution, so the school you choose within Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities usually matters more than the major label itself.
What is the average debt for a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree?
Median debt at completion across the 96 U.S. schools reporting Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities data to the College Scorecard is $28K, against a national all-major average of $26K. The range across schools is wide — $13K at the top of the table to $42K at the bottom.
How much do Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities graduates earn?
Earnings rise sharply from $45K in year 1 to $61K by year 5 — 35% growth in four years. That is a strong promotion curve, common in technology, engineering, and finance tracks where early-career skill compounding pays off fast. National average first-year earnings across all 30,224 school + major combinations on the site is $58K — for context, Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities sits below that benchmark.
Which school has the best Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program by ROI?
Baptist University of the Americas leads the field with a 68/100 ROI Score (Grade B). Median debt at completion is $13K against $45K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.29x. On the other end, College of Our Lady of the Elms sits at the bottom of the field with a 52/100 ROI Score (Grade C). Median debt at completion is $42K against $45K in first-year earnings — a debt-to-income ratio of 0.93x.
Where does this Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities data come from?
Every figure on this page comes from federal public datasets — the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov) for debt and earnings, IPEDS (nces.ed.gov/ipeds) for graduation rates, and BLS Employment Projections for the job-growth outlook component of the ROI Score. Borrower-rights guidance: the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov). The dataset was last refreshed March 2026.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. All federal datasets are public domain.
Last updated 2026-03-15 · 96 schools reporting for this major.