Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Bryan College-Dayton

A bachelor's in Liberal Arts at Bryan College-Dayton will likely cost around $29,000 in student loans, based on what similar private programs in Tennessee report—a figure that sits just above the national median for this degree. What's encouraging is that comparable Tennessee programs suggest first-year earnings near $37,400, which would mean less than a year's salary in debt. That's a manageable starting point, though it's worth noting that several other Tennessee schools with reported outcomes show their graduates earning $41,000 to $46,000 in their first year, suggesting Bryan's program may not be the most competitive pathway in the state.

The challenge with a general Liberal Arts degree is what happens after that first year. These broad humanities programs rarely lead to specialized careers with steep salary trajectories, so you're largely relying on that initial earning power to justify the investment. At three-quarters of first-year income, the debt load is reasonable if your child has clear plans for how they'll use this degree—whether that's graduate school, teaching, nonprofit work, or transitioning into a specific field.

Without actual outcomes data from Bryan College itself, you're making this decision with limited visibility into how this specific program performs. If your child is drawn to Bryan for its Christian mission or campus culture, the estimated numbers don't raise red flags. But if academics are the primary draw, programs at Lee or MTSU show stronger earning potential with similarly manageable debt.