Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Kentucky's Liberal Arts program sits squarely in the middle of the pack nationally, but performs somewhat better when compared to other Kentucky schools—ranking in the 60th percentile statewide with first-year earnings of $35,958. The real story here, though, is the backward slide: graduates earn less four years out ($33,573) than they do immediately after college, a 7% decline that's unusual enough to warrant attention.

The debt picture offers a silver lining. At $31,000, graduates borrow slightly more than the state median but considerably less than most programs nationally (17th percentile for debt). That 0.86 debt-to-earnings ratio means the typical graduate owes less than their first year's salary, which is manageable territory. For a school serving a substantial population of Pell Grant recipients (39%), keeping debt loads reasonable matters.

What explains graduates earning less at age 25 than 22? Liberal arts degrees often lead to non-linear career paths where graduates take time to find their footing, switch sectors, or pursue additional education. But it also suggests this isn't a credential that immediately opens doors to upward mobility. For families banking on steady income growth after graduation, that's worth confronting directly. This program works best for students who understand they're buying time and flexibility to figure things out, not a clear pathway to middle-class stability.