Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Fond du Lac's liberal arts program outperforms three-quarters of similar programs nationwide, yet falls below Minnesota's median—a pattern that reflects the state's unusually strong community college outcomes rather than weakness in this program. The $30,455 starting salary beats the national figure by $3,200, and graduates carry manageable debt at $12,788, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 that suggests most borrowers can handle repayment without financial strain.

The earnings trajectory here deserves attention: graduates see 16% income growth by year four, reaching $35,258. That's solid progression for an associate degree, though it still trails the state's top-performing programs by $5,000-$15,000. Within Minnesota, this puts the program in the 40th percentile—middle of the pack for a state with exceptionally strong community college outcomes. The moderate sample size means these figures should be reliable for planning purposes.

For families weighing community college options in northeastern Minnesota, this program delivers reasonable value, particularly if you're keeping debt below the median. The combination of lower-than-average borrowing and better-than-national earnings creates breathing room after graduation. Just understand you're not getting the earnings premium that programs at Winona State or some of the Twin Cities area community colleges achieve.