Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Clayton State University

The small sample size here demands caution, but the numbers tell a troubling story that can't be ignored: graduates earn just $17,188 their first year while carrying nearly $30,000 in debt. That's not only well below Georgia's median of $24,817 for this degree—it places Clayton State in the 10th percentile statewide, meaning 90% of comparable programs in Georgia produce better outcomes. When students at Georgia State's campuses earn $29,070 with similar degrees, the $12,000 gap raises serious questions about why Clayton State's results lag so far behind.

The debt burden compounds the problem. Most Georgia schools offering this associate's degree see graduates leave with around $13,750 in debt, but Clayton State's students carry more than double that amount. Combining rock-bottom earnings with outsized debt creates a ratio of 1.74—meaning graduates owe nearly two years of their first-year salary. For a family considering this path, that's a financially precarious position that could take years to recover from, especially given that more than half of Clayton State's students receive Pell grants and likely have fewer resources to fall back on.

Unless your child has compelling reasons to choose this specific program—perhaps using it as a stepping stone to transfer elsewhere—the financial math doesn't work. Other Georgia institutions deliver significantly stronger outcomes for similar degrees, making them worth serious consideration before committing here.