Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Amarillo College

Amarillo College graduates earning $31,173 immediately after their associate's degree sit near the middle of the pack in Texas—60th percentile statewide—but manage to beat 78% of similar programs nationally. That's a solid outcome for an open-access community college serving a substantial Pell grant population. The earnings bump to $33,215 by year four shows steady, if modest, progress.

The concern here is the price tag. At $13,830 in median debt, students are paying roughly 30% more than the Texas median for this program type. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.44 isn't alarming—graduates can manage it—but it's higher than you'd expect from a community college associate's degree. When peers at Central Texas College or Austin Community College District earn $38,000+ with similar debt loads, that $6,000-7,000 annual earnings gap adds up quickly. Over a decade, that's potentially $60,000+ in lost income.

For families choosing between Texas community colleges, Amarillo delivers acceptable outcomes but not exceptional value. The moderate debt burden is manageable on these earnings, but students could likely find better returns elsewhere in the state unless geographic constraints make Amarillo the practical choice.