Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Dean College

A Bachelor's in Liberal Arts from Dean College comes with an estimated $26,750 in debt—right at the Massachusetts median—but the earnings trajectory raises serious questions. While comparable programs in the state suggest first-year earnings around $39,000, Dean's reported fourth-year earnings drop to just $28,891. That's a troubling reversal when you'd expect graduates to be earning more, not less, as they gain experience.

This backwards progression could signal several issues: perhaps many graduates end up in part-time work, shift to lower-paying fields, or struggle to find stable employment in their field. While the debt load itself isn't unusually high and the initial debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.68 seems manageable, that four-year figure is what should concern you. Other Massachusetts schools with Liberal Arts programs—like Worcester State at $44,000 or Endicott at $45,000—show their graduates earning substantially more by the same point in their careers.

Given that 30% of Dean students receive Pell grants and the program's affordability depends heavily on those first-year earnings holding steady, the fourth-year decline is particularly worrisome. Before committing, you need to understand why Dean's outcomes appear to diverge from peer institutions—whether it's the specific career paths graduates pursue, regional employment challenges, or something else entirely. The estimates suggest caution, but that fourth-year number demands explanation.