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

Itawamba Community College's Liberal Arts program starts graduates at less than $20,000 annually—well below both the state median ($21,112) and national median ($27,248), ranking in just the 5th percentile nationally. However, that first-year figure tells an incomplete story. By year four, earnings jump 66% to $31,706, surpassing the national median and placing graduates ahead of peers from better-starting programs like Holmes Community College. The $7,000 in typical debt—among the lowest in the nation—makes this trajectory particularly manageable, with debt representing just 37% of first-year earnings.

The challenge is surviving those initial lean years. At 40th percentile statewide, this program sits in the middle of Mississippi's pack, though Mississippi itself ranks low nationally. Nearly half of Itawamba students receive Pell grants, meaning many families won't have much cushion to subsidize those first post-graduation years. Students need realistic plans for covering living expenses when entry wages hover near poverty level.

For families who can weather the rough start—perhaps through continued family support or dual incomes—the math eventually works. Minimal debt plus strong earnings growth creates breathing room within a few years. But if your student needs to be financially independent immediately after graduation, the first-year reality poses genuine hardship that strong four-year outcomes don't erase.