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

A liberal arts degree from Emporia State starts promisingly but shows troubling backward momentum. While first-year earnings of $38,423 exceed the national median by about 6%, graduates earn nearly $3,500 *less* by year four—a pattern that raises real questions about career trajectory. More concerning, this program sits in the 40th percentile among Kansas schools offering this major, trailing in-state alternatives like Fort Hays ($42,795) and the University of Kansas ($42,527) by $4,000-$8,000 annually despite similar or lower debt loads.

The debt picture is reasonable but unremarkable: $26,492 represents about eight months of first-year salary, slightly better than the national average for this field. However, that calculation becomes less favorable as earnings slide. By year four, that same debt burden represents 9+ months of income, essentially eliminating the initial advantage.

For families weighing this option, the comparison to other Kansas public universities is hard to ignore. If your student is already considering a broad liberal arts path in Kansas, those higher-performing programs offer better financial outcomes without requiring out-of-state tuition. The earnings decline here suggests graduates may struggle to translate their degree into stable career advancement—a pattern worth investigating directly with the school's career services office before committing.