Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Centenary University

A $32,988 starting salary falls roughly $5,000 below what typical New Jersey liberal arts graduates earn, placing this program in the 40th percentile statewide—below half of comparable NJ programs. The gap is even more striking when you consider that nearby public options like Rowan ($43,486) and Stockton ($42,209) deliver substantially higher earnings with similar or lower debt levels. With nearly open admission (97% acceptance rate) and 38% of students on Pell grants, Centenary serves a population that particularly needs strong post-graduation outcomes.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.82 sits right at the threshold of what's considered manageable, but the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these numbers could shift significantly year to year. What won't change is the fundamental challenge: liberal arts degrees typically require graduate school or strategic career planning to reach higher earnings, and starting $5,000 behind the state median makes that path steeper.

For families considering this investment, the comparison to New Jersey's public universities is unavoidable. Thomas Edison State, in particular, offers the same degree type with first-year earnings 50% higher. Unless Centenary provides something uniquely valuable—perhaps a specialized learning community or support services that justify the gap—exploring those alternatives would be prudent.