Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 24.01. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 3,778 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 570 | 136,902 | $35,042 | $44,906 | $9,200 91 programs |
| Associate's degree | 1,553 | 363,072 | $34,134 | $44,125 | $10,854 881 programs |
| Bachelor's degree | 1,244 | 38,238 | $42,801 | $53,072 | $26,000 458 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 17 | 0 | $68,845 | $71,215 | $25,765 2 programs |
| Master's degree | 254 | 1,676 | $57,501 | $65,716 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 42 | 141 | $65,493 | $69,534 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 3 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 95 | 213 | $75,055 | $65,226 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Fresno CA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $64,925 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $60,044 | $93,527 | $26,993 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $60,044 | $93,527 | $26,993 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $60,044 | $93,527 | $26,993 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $60,044 | $93,527 | $26,993 |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $60,044 | $93,527 | $26,993 |
| Oakland Community College MI · Public · 18 graduates measured | $56,662 | Data unavailable | $10,534 |
| Black River Technical College AR · Public · 65 graduates measured | $55,768 | Data unavailable | $10,032 |
| Tidewater Community College VA · Public · 27 graduates measured | $54,117 | $45,052 | $10,251 |
| Los Angeles City College CA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $48,917 | $47,305 | $9,500 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public · 80 graduates measured | $47,902 | $64,345 | $12,000 |
| Los Angeles Southwest College CA · Public · 24 graduates measured | $46,272 | $44,022 | $12,667 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee WI · Public · 50 graduates measured | $44,713 | $50,342 | $17,512 |
| San Diego Mesa College CA · Public · 23 graduates measured | $44,585 | $49,676 | $5,500 |
| Cabrillo College CA · Public · 118 graduates measured | $44,110 | $50,226 | $7,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Associate's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University AL · Private, for-profit · 35 graduates measured | $62,956 | $62,009 | $12,500 |
| Thomas Edison State University NJ · Public · 41 graduates measured | $55,981 | $60,803 | $16,262 |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 453 graduates measured | $54,269 | $63,895 | $5,500 |
| Excelsior University NY · Private, nonprofit · 101 graduates measured | $54,256 | $63,016 | $13,333 |
| National University CA · Private, nonprofit · 54 graduates measured | $53,556 | $60,134 | $9,711 |
| Wayland Baptist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 36 graduates measured | $52,052 | Data unavailable | $11,059 |
| Bellevue College WA · Public · 50 graduates measured | $50,710 | $52,664 | $5,625 |
| Columbia College MO · Private, nonprofit · 150 graduates measured | $50,359 | $53,896 | $21,329 |
| University of West Florida FL · Public · 58 graduates measured | $49,335 | $59,240 | $12,000 |
| Troy University AL · Public · 58 graduates measured | $49,188 | $52,248 | $26,457 |
| Edmonds College WA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $48,586 | $48,269 | Data unavailable |
| Hodges University · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $48,461 | Data unavailable | $22,665 |
| Massachusetts Bay Community College MA · Public · 48 graduates measured | $48,311 | $45,864 | $9,139 |
| Charter Oak State College CT · Public · 22 graduates measured | $48,001 | $60,478 | $20,438 |
| Highline College WA · Public · 61 graduates measured | $47,820 | $54,874 | $6,750 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology MA · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $95,803 | $147,998 | Data unavailable |
| DePaul University IL · Private, nonprofit · 81 graduates measured | $91,847 | $86,444 | $39,593 |
| Lehigh University PA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $85,013 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bentley University MA · Private, nonprofit · 176 graduates measured | $77,001 | $105,183 | $24,615 |
| American Public University System WV · Private, for-profit · 32 graduates measured | $69,410 | $79,734 | $11,000 |
| Friends University KS · Private, nonprofit · 33 graduates measured | $64,365 | Data unavailable | $32,000 |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $63,405 | Data unavailable | $17,750 |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill NC · Public · 30 graduates measured | $62,893 | $72,422 | Data unavailable |
| Charter Oak State College CT · Public · 111 graduates measured | $61,095 | $54,363 | $22,007 |
| University of Miami FL · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $60,609 | $55,625 | $10,816 |
| National University CA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $59,026 | Data unavailable | $39,583 |
| Excelsior University NY · Private, nonprofit · 533 graduates measured | $58,001 | $61,685 | $12,500 |
| Baker College MI · Private, nonprofit · 56 graduates measured | $57,991 | $58,921 | $47,912 |
| Saint Xavier University IL · Private, nonprofit · 20 graduates measured | $57,377 | $54,826 | $21,852 |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia PA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $56,445 | $72,048 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| California State University-Dominguez Hills CA · Public · 19 graduates measured | $91,373 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 52 graduates measured | $76,690 | $100,964 | $14,750 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 76 graduates measured | $82,922 | $80,419 | Data unavailable |
| DePaul University IL · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $82,004 | $74,702 | Data unavailable |
| Stony Brook University NY · Public · 89 graduates measured | $79,588 | $89,107 | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 144 graduates measured | $77,383 | $92,158 | Data unavailable |
| Tennessee State University TN · Public · 22 graduates measured | $74,672 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| New York University NY · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $71,342 | $66,958 | Data unavailable |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus OK · Public · 148 graduates measured | $68,157 | $70,018 | Data unavailable |
| University of Memphis TN · Public · 34 graduates measured | $66,757 | $65,320 | Data unavailable |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center NY · Public · 84 graduates measured | $65,841 | $72,860 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pennsylvania PA · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $65,784 | $72,960 | Data unavailable |
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 38 graduates measured | $64,865 | $70,651 | Data unavailable |
| Tennessee Technological University TN · Public · 51 graduates measured | $64,502 | $61,301 | Data unavailable |
| Wesleyan University CT · Private, nonprofit · 24 graduates measured | $63,583 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Dallas TX · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $58,805 | $63,807 | Data unavailable |
| Southern Methodist University TX · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $57,107 | $69,368 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villanova University PA · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $144,269 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University VA · Public · 309 graduates measured | $83,364 | $70,335 | Data unavailable |
| Lehigh University PA · Private, nonprofit · 27 graduates measured | $74,266 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public · 39 graduates measured | $69,245 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $77,640 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 24.0101 Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies
- 24.0102 General Studies
- 24.0103 Humanities/Humanistic Studies
- 24.0199 Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities, Other