Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Harrisburg Area Community College

Harrisburg Area Community College's Liberal Arts associate degree charges $16,643 in median debt—considerably more than both the state median ($12,500) and national benchmark ($10,950) for similar programs. Yet graduates earn $30,455 in their first year, placing them at the 75th percentile nationally and comfortably above Pennsylvania's median of $25,883. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55 means graduates can theoretically pay off loans within about seven months of earnings, which is manageable despite the higher-than-typical borrowing.

The real question is whether those earnings justify the premium debt load. While HACC's outcomes beat 60% of Pennsylvania Liberal Arts programs, they trail Community College of Philadelphia by about $2,200 annually. Over a typical repayment period, that extra debt could cost your child real money compared to peer institutions. Earnings do grow modestly to $31,482 by year four, though 3% growth barely keeps pace with inflation.

For families where your child can commute and minimize living costs, this works—the debt stays manageable relative to earnings. But if attending means significant additional expenses, look closely at whether similar programs at other Pennsylvania community colleges might deliver comparable outcomes with less borrowing. The fundamentals aren't bad here; it's simply that HACC costs more upfront for results that, while solid, aren't exceptional enough to clearly justify the premium.