Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

With first-year earnings of $28,620 against $31,000 in debt, Bowling Green's general studies program lands in the bottom quarter of similar Ohio programs—a significant gap when the state median sits at $40,556. That's nearly $12,000 less than what graduates earn at nearby state schools like Ohio State or Kent State. The 17th national percentile tells the same story: three-quarters of comparable programs nationwide deliver better early-career outcomes.

The 25% earnings growth to $35,902 by year four helps, but graduates remain well behind their peers across Ohio. When programs at Xavier or Antioch start students $18,000 higher in year one, that gap compounds over a career through raises, retirement savings, and advancement opportunities. The debt load itself matches the state median, so the real issue is earning capacity—this program simply doesn't position graduates as competitively in the job market as other Ohio options.

For families considering this path, understand that general studies is already a challenging degree for early earnings, and this particular program performs in the bottom tier even within that category. Unless Bowling Green offers compelling non-financial reasons—location, specific faculty, or unique program elements—Ohio families should seriously explore the stronger-performing state schools that deliver $10,000+ more in starting salary for similar debt.