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

Cabrillo College's Liberal Arts certificate starts slow but gains significant momentum—graduates earn $27,154 initially but see earnings jump 40% to $38,002 by year four, one of the stronger growth trajectories in this program category. The relatively low debt load of $7,412 means graduates enter with manageable obligations while their earning power is still building.

However, there's a state-level context worth noting: this program ranks in just the 40th percentile among California's 111 liberal arts certificate programs, meaning 60% of comparable programs in the state produce higher initial earnings. The gap is real—top California community colleges like East LA and San Diego Mesa see their graduates earning $33,000+ right away. That said, Cabrillo's strong earnings growth suggests graduates may be catching up over time, and the debt burden here is actually lower than the state median.

The bottom line: this certificate functions more as a stepping stone than an immediate earnings accelerator. If your child plans to continue their education or is willing to work their way up over several years, the combination of low debt and solid growth makes this reasonable. But if they need stronger earnings immediately after graduation, other California community colleges deliver more out of the gate.