Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Clatsop Community College

Clatsop Community College's liberal arts associate degree shows modest numbers that place it squarely in the middle of Oregon's community college options, but with graduates earning less than most state peers. While these students take on relatively light debt—$15,000 is below both state and national medians—first-year earnings of $23,808 trail the state median by nearly $2,500 and lag far behind programs at Portland CC and Central Oregon CC by $7,000 or more.

The 29% earnings growth over four years is encouraging, bringing graduates to $30,799 by year four, though this still lands them at the 40th percentile statewide. The debt burden itself isn't alarming—it's actually lower than typical for this degree—but it still represents 63% of first-year earnings. Given that general studies degrees function mainly as stepping stones to bachelor's programs, these earnings suggest most graduates either aren't transferring or are working while completing additional education.

One critical caveat: the sample size here is tiny (under 30 graduates), making these numbers potentially unreliable. For families considering Clatsop specifically for proximity to Astoria, this could work as an affordable start to higher education. But if transferring to a four-year program is the goal, look closely at whether Clatsop's transfer agreements match up with your intended destination—the program's value depends almost entirely on what comes next.