Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Fort Valley State University

The numbers here should stop you in your tracks. Fort Valley State's Liberal Arts program produces earnings of just $23,157 in the first year—already troubling—but then drops to $16,448 by year four. That's a 29% decline when graduates should be gaining career traction, putting this program in the bottom 10% both nationally and within Georgia. With nearly $40,000 in debt, graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.71 in year one that becomes catastrophic by year four.

The comparison to other Georgia schools tells the story: University of North Georgia and Clayton State graduates earn more than double what Fort Valley State graduates make four years out, even in the same major field. This isn't about the inherent value of liberal arts degrees—Georgia Southern's program produces $34,576 earners with identical debt loads. The 72% Pell Grant rate shows Fort Valley State serves students who can least afford poor outcomes, making these results particularly concerning.

The small sample size means a few graduates' experiences heavily influence these numbers, so this might not represent every student's trajectory. But that uncertainty cuts both ways—you're gambling on being an outlier rather than following the central trend. Unless you have specific evidence this program connects to viable career paths (perhaps teaching certification or graduate school placement), the financial risk here is simply too high.