Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Frederick Community College

The earnings trajectory here tells two very different stories. Starting at just $22,067—well below both Maryland's median ($26,448) and the national average ($27,248) for this program—graduates face a rough first year that lands this program in the bottom quarter statewide. However, the 83% earnings jump to over $40,000 by year four suggests many graduates are either transferring successfully to bachelor's programs or finding their footing in the workforce after a slow start.

The debt load of $8,935 is manageable and below both state and national medians, which matters when first-year earnings are this low. Still, Frederick Community College lags significantly behind Maryland's top performers—Baltimore City Community College graduates earn nearly double in their first year. For a general studies associate's degree meant as a transfer pathway, that initial earning period may reflect students still working part-time while completing their bachelor's elsewhere, which would explain the dramatic later growth.

If your child plans to transfer immediately to a four-year program, that weak first year may not matter much. But if they need to work full-time after graduation, understand they'll likely earn $4,000-5,000 less annually than peers at other Maryland community colleges—at least initially. The strong year-four earnings offer hope, but banking on an 83% salary increase requires careful planning about what happens in those early years.