Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Fort Lewis College

This program's estimated first-year earnings of $39,024 track reasonably with Colorado's typical outcomes for liberal arts degrees, but the four-year figure of $34,091 tells a concerning story about trajectory. While similar programs across Colorado suggest starting salaries near state median, this program's actual reported earnings four years out fall below where graduates typically begin. That backward slide—roughly $5,000—is unusual and worth investigating before committing to this path.

The debt picture looks manageable on paper: an estimated $25,375 against first-year earnings yields a 0.65 ratio, comfortably below the 1.0 threshold that typically signals trouble. But when earnings actually decline after graduation rather than grow, that initial comfort dissolves quickly. You'd expect a bachelor's degree to build momentum over those crucial early career years, not lose ground. Fort Lewis serves a significant population of students from lower-income families (36% on Pell grants), which makes stagnant earnings particularly problematic for families counting on that degree to open doors.

Colorado Mesa graduates in this field earn $42,000+ in their early careers based on reported data—about $8,000 more than Fort Lewis graduates four years out. Without clarity on what's driving Fort Lewis's unusual earnings pattern for liberal arts majors, you're making a significant financial commitment based largely on peer program estimates rather than this school's actual track record.