Liberal Arts Degree | Salary, Jobs & Top Colleges

About Liberal Arts

This page covers Liberal Arts as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Liberal Arts and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.

Liberal Arts is a specialized field of study. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $53,072 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 2,214 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 511,953 students complete it each year, most walking away with a associate's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.

Median Earnings · 1yr: $36,809
Median Earnings · 4yr: $53,072
Colleges Offering: 2,214
Graduates / Year: 511,953
Avg Net Price / yr: $9,100

How Much Do Liberal Arts Graduates Earn?

Four years after finishing Liberal Arts, a typical graduate earns $53,072, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $35,750 and $73,322, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $36,809 at one year out to $53,072 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.

What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.

$36,809

1 Year After Graduation

Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.

$53,072

4-Year National Median

Below average for bachelor's degree holders.

$52,601

4-Year Institutional Median

Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.

Earnings Range

Not every Liberal Arts graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out widely, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.

$35,750 25th pct.

$53,072 Median

$73,322 75th pct.

Why This Program Pays Off Fast

Strong ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $53,072 against an estimated $36,400 four-year net cost, most graduates break even against baseline wages in under two years.

Based on outcomes from 1,198 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.

Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown

Of the 511,953 students who complete Liberal Arts programs each year, the majority (73%) earn a associate's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.

73%

Associate's 73%

Certificate 19%

Bachelor's 8%

Top Colleges for Liberal Arts

Not sure where to study Liberal Arts? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.

Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Ivy Tech Community College, and the rest follow the same measures.

#	College	Graduates	Acceptance	Net Price/yr	Earnings 10yr
1	Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN · Public	7,005	Open	$7,258	$37,186
2	Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA · Public	4,896	Open	$4,152	$50,874
3	Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TX · Public	4,102	Open	$4,337	$42,727
4	Golden West College Huntington Beach, CA · Public	2,954	Open	$4,824	$43,145
5	Irvine Valley College Irvine, CA · Public	2,801	Open	$2,090	$49,156
6	Southern Utah University Cedar City, UT · Public	2,472	81.8%	$10,462	$50,296
7	Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City Kansas City, MO · Public	2,403	Open	$8,398	$40,796
8	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH · Nonprofit	2,354	99.5%	$36,708	$50,318
9	Los Angeles Pierce College Woodland Hills, CA · Public	2,154	Open	$13,270	$44,521
10	Salt Lake Community College Salt Lake City, UT · Public	2,131	Open	$9,804	$47,867
11	Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CA · Public	2,056	Open	$7,203	$47,348
12	Portland Community College Portland, OR · Public	2,053	Open	$10,405	$44,592
13	Ventura College Ventura, CA · Public	2,035	Open	$-982	$43,430
14	William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL · Public	2,011	Open	$11,607	$48,071
15	Central New Mexico Community College Albuquerque, NM · Public	1,929	Open	$4,621	$36,869
16	Georgia State University-Perimeter College Atlanta, GA · Public	1,917	90.8%	$11,453	$47,384
17	Pima Community College Tucson, AZ · Public	1,872	Open	$3,405	$39,810
18	College of Lake County Grayslake, IL · Public	1,852	Open	$7,607	$43,424
19	Los Angeles Harbor College Wilmington, CA · Public	1,791	Open	$13,250	$41,133
20	Cuesta College San Luis Obispo, CA · Public	1,752	Open	$12,124	$46,047

View all colleges

Ranked by Liberal Arts graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →

Related Humanities Programs

Liberal Arts stands alone in its major group, so there is nothing narrower to compare it to. The 11 programs below come from the broader Humanities field instead. Line up their 4-year median earnings against Liberal Arts to see how it fits.

Mathematics and Computer Science $118,943 Computational Science $104,864 Systems Science and Theory $88,036 Cognitive Science $81,496 Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages $67,612 Science $67,452 Human Biology $64,732 Public Relations $63,560 Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution $63,114 Slavic Languages $62,169 Nutrition Sciences $60,053 Liberal Arts $53,072

View all programs in Liberal Arts

Plan Your Path

Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Liberal Arts program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.

College ROI Calculator

See if a Liberal Arts degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.

College Cost Calculator

Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.

Compare Colleges

Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.

College Match Quiz

Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.

Liberal Arts Degree: Pros & Cons

The data on Liberal Arts shows 2 measurable strengths and 3 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.

PROS

Strong salary growth Median earnings climb from $36,809 at graduation to $53,072 four years later, a clear sign of career momentum in this field.
Wide availability Offered at 2,214 colleges nationwide, with options at every price point and institution type.

CONS

Modest median earnings Four-year median of $53,072 lags STEM and business fields, affecting ROI at higher-cost programs.
Highly competitive market 511,953 students graduate from this program every year, one of the higher volumes nationally. Entry-level competition can be stiff.
High earnings variance Gap between 25th ($35,750) and 75th ($73,322) percentile is wide. Where you land depends heavily on employer, role, and location.

Liberal Arts Degree: Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Liberal Arts graduates earn?

$53,072 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $35,750 and $73,322, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.

What is the starting salary for a Liberal Arts degree?

$36,809 in the first year out. That grows to $53,072 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.

How long does a Liberal Arts program take?

Two years full-time at a community college for a Liberal Arts associate degree. Many students use it as a stepping stone, transferring to a four-year school afterward to finish a bachelor's.

How many colleges offer Liberal Arts?

2,214 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.

Is a Liberal Arts degree worth it?

$53,072 median earnings four years out against $9,100 a year in average net price. That is a fast payback, and it holds up especially well at lower-cost schools. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.

What skills do employers look for in Liberal Arts graduates?

Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Liberal Arts graduates consistently look for writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural communication. Employers value the ability to synthesize complex information clearly, skills that transfer into communications, law, consulting, and content roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.