Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Dominican University New York

A debt load near $25,000 for first-year earnings around $36,000 sounds manageable on paper—and compared to similar New York liberal arts programs, these estimates align with typical state outcomes. But the gap between Dominican's program and what's possible elsewhere in the state is striking. Top programs at schools like Molloy and Mercy generate first-year earnings exceeding $45,000, and even Cornell's liberal arts graduates start above $46,000. That spread matters when you're paying back loans.

The challenge with a general liberal arts degree is that outcomes depend heavily on what students do with it—internships, connections, and post-graduation planning drive results more than the credential itself. Based on comparable New York programs, graduates typically face a debt-to-earnings ratio below 0.7, which is workable but leaves little margin for career missteps. With 41% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are stretching financially, and a slow start in the job market could make repayment difficult.

For families considering this path, the question isn't whether liberal arts degrees can lead somewhere—they can—but whether Dominican provides enough career support and networking to justify the cost when peer institutions show such different outcomes. If your student has a clear plan for translating this degree into employment, the debt burden is reasonable. Without that clarity, the risk increases considerably.