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

Kansas liberal arts programs typically place graduates around $41,000 in first-year earnings, which is where Bethany College's estimated outcomes land based on comparable programs in the state. That figure actually outpaces the national median for this degree by nearly $5,000, suggesting Kansas's job market treats generalist bachelor's degrees reasonably well. The estimated $29,000 in debt produces a manageable 0.70 debt-to-earnings ratio—you'd be borrowing less than a year's salary, which is a workable starting point for most graduates.

The challenge is that these estimates come from a small pool of similar Kansas programs, and we can't see how Bethany's graduates specifically fare in the job market. The school serves a significant number of Pell-eligible students (43%), which often correlates with fewer family resources to cushion the transition into the workforce. Liberal arts degrees are famously flexible but require graduates to actively translate their skills into employment—there's no clear professional pipeline like you'd find with nursing or accounting.

Given the uncertainty around actual outcomes and the self-directed career path this degree requires, this works best for families who can afford some financial breathing room after graduation. The debt level isn't alarming, but without concrete data on where Bethany's graduates actually land, you're taking on more risk than programs where schools report verified earnings.