Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Hiram College

A bachelor's degree in Liberal Arts from Hiram projects an estimated $27,625 in debt against first-year earnings around $40,556—figures drawn from similar programs across Ohio since the school's actual graduate outcomes aren't publicly reported due to small sample sizes. That 0.68 debt-to-earnings ratio falls within manageable territory, and the projected earnings align precisely with Ohio's median for this degree, suggesting fairly standard outcomes for the state. Nationally, this field typically produces $36,340 in first-year earnings, so the Ohio estimate tracks about $4,200 higher than the broader benchmark.

The challenge is that these peer-based projections mask substantial variation. Top-performing Liberal Arts programs in Ohio—like Xavier's $47,064 or Ohio State's $43,393—demonstrate that outcomes in this field can swing by $5,000 to $6,500 annually even within the same state. Without knowing where Hiram's actual graduates land in that spectrum, you're essentially betting that they cluster around the middle rather than trailing toward the lower end.

For families comfortable with that uncertainty, the estimated debt load won't likely create financial crisis—monthly payments would consume roughly 7-8% of gross income under standard repayment. But if your student needs their degree to lead somewhere specific career-wise, verify what connections and job placement support Hiram actually provides. The value here hinges entirely on execution factors you can't see in these numbers.