Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Community College of Baltimore County

Community College of Baltimore County's Liberal Arts associate's delivers something rare for general studies programs: genuine earnings momentum. Starting at $27,852, graduates see their pay jump 40% to nearly $39,000 by year four—well above what most community college liberal arts programs deliver. Among Maryland's 18 schools offering this degree, CCBC ranks in the 60th percentile, meaning you're doing better than most competitors despite starting from modest first-year wages.

The debt picture matters here. At $13,469, students borrow more than the state median ($10,200) and national median ($10,950), but the 0.48 debt-to-earnings ratio remains manageable—graduates owe about half their first-year salary. More importantly, by year four when earnings push past $38,000, that debt burden shrinks considerably. One caveat: top Maryland programs like Baltimore City Community College and University of Maryland Global Campus deliver much stronger outcomes (both over $41,000), though they may serve different student populations or lead to different transfer pathways.

For families seeking an affordable starting point toward a bachelor's degree or immediate workforce entry, CCBC's program works—but primarily because of that earnings trajectory, not the initial wage. The growth pattern suggests graduates either transfer successfully or find career advancement quickly. Just understand you're paying slightly more than average debt for average starting wages, banking on that upward climb materializing.