Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Baltimore City Community College

Baltimore City Community College's liberal arts associate graduates earn $41,120 in their first year—an impressive figure that outperforms 95% of similar programs both nationally and across Maryland. This places the program at the very top of the state's liberal arts associate offerings, essentially tied with University of Maryland Global Campus while serving a substantially higher proportion of Pell grant recipients. When most liberal arts associate programs nationally produce median earnings around $27,000, this program delivers 51% more.

The debt burden of $8,850 is reasonable at just 22% of first-year earnings, though it's worth noting that about 29% of programs nationally manage lower debt loads. The more puzzling element is the slight earnings decline to $39,791 by year four—a 3% drop that's unusual but not necessarily alarming given the strong starting point. This could reflect graduates moving between jobs, pursuing further education part-time, or taking positions with non-monetary benefits.

For families considering community college as an affordable pathway, this program delivers exactly what it should: strong initial earning power at manageable debt levels. The first-year outcomes suggest graduates are landing solid entry-level positions in the Baltimore area, making this a legitimately strong foundation whether your child plans to enter the workforce or eventually transfer to complete a bachelor's degree.