Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Florida Gulf Coast University

A Bachelor's in Liberal Arts at Florida Gulf Coast comes with an estimated $20,400 in debt—notably lower than both the state median of $25,600 and the national benchmark of $27,000 for similar programs. That lighter debt load matters when first-year earnings based on comparable Florida programs hover around $35,400, creating a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.58. This suggests students could theoretically dedicate roughly half their first-year salary to eliminating debt, though that's rarely realistic with living expenses.

The earnings picture shows considerable variation across Florida's liberal arts programs. Top performers like University of Miami and UCF place graduates earning $48,000 to $50,000, while FGCU's peer programs cluster closer to the state median. For context, that $35,400 figure sits just below the national median of $36,300, positioning this degree as fairly typical in earning power nationwide but middle-of-the-pack within Florida's more competitive landscape.

Here's what this means practically: the lower debt partially offsets the modest earnings, but liberal arts degrees generally require strategic career planning to maximize value. The relatively accessible admission standards (77% acceptance rate) suggest FGCU serves students who might not gain entry to higher-earning programs elsewhere. If your child needs a bachelor's degree as a credential and can keep costs down—particularly by living at home or graduating quickly—the math works. If they're comparing this to more specialized degrees with clearer career paths, acknowledge that versatility comes with an earnings trade-off that persists beyond year one.