Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Arlington Baptist University

The small sample size here demands caution, but the available data suggests Arlington Baptist University's liberal arts program struggles to deliver competitive outcomes. With graduates earning $32,360 one year out—about $6,500 below the Texas median and landing in just the 25th percentile statewide—this program significantly underperforms compared to other Texas options. When even regional competitors like Wayland Baptist ($44,688) and Lamar University ($43,524) show substantially higher earnings, that gap becomes harder to dismiss.

The debt load of $31,000 is manageable in absolute terms and actually below the national average. But paired with below-average earnings, it creates a nearly 1:1 debt-to-income ratio that will strain a typical graduate's budget. More concerning is the competitive disadvantage: students at UT Austin's liberal arts program, for instance, earn nearly $13,000 more annually while carrying similar debt. The 55% Pell grant rate indicates this serves many lower-income students who can least afford a slow financial start.

Given the small cohort size, a single strong or weak graduating class could dramatically skew these figures. But until better data emerges, families should recognize this appears to be one of the weaker-performing liberal arts programs in Texas. If your student is set on Arlington Baptist for faith-based reasons, consider whether a different major might offer better career preparation, or whether transferring after general education requirements could preserve the college experience while improving post-graduation prospects.