Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Christian Brothers University

Christian Brothers University's liberal arts program carries an estimated debt load of $28,979 against first-year earnings of roughly $37,400—numbers drawn from comparable Tennessee programs. That 0.77 debt-to-earnings ratio sits in reasonable territory, meaning graduates would owe about nine months of their first year's salary. But the ceiling here matters: peer programs with actual reported data show top Tennessee liberal arts graduates earning $45,000+, suggesting this program may not be competing at the higher end of the state's market.

The estimated earnings align almost perfectly with the state median for liberal arts degrees, which sounds safe until you consider what that means practically. At $37,400, graduates are looking at monthly debt payments that consume a meaningful chunk of entry-level paychecks, leaving less room for housing costs in Memphis or saving for graduate school—a common next step for liberal arts majors. Programs like Lee University and MTSU are producing graduates who earn $8,000+ more annually right out of the gate, which translates to significantly more breathing room with similar debt loads.

For a private university charging tuition that leads to nearly $29,000 in debt, parents should verify whether Christian Brothers offers something beyond what's available at Tennessee's public universities producing comparable or better outcomes. Without clear evidence that this specific program outperforms these estimates, the investment requires careful scrutiny against lower-cost alternatives in the state.