Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Lake Region State College

The $19,014 first-year earnings at Lake Region State College land graduates in the bottom 10% of North Dakota's liberal arts programs—roughly $12,700 below the state median and even $8,200 below the national benchmark. While the debt load appears manageable at just under $12,000, that 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio reflects a difficult first year where students are earning barely above minimum wage full-time work. For context, comparable programs at Bismarck State and Williston State produce first-year earnings 75% higher.

The dramatic turnaround by year four—earnings nearly double to $37,211—deserves scrutiny. This 96% jump is unusually steep and might reflect students who needed additional credentials, relocated, or moved into unrelated careers rather than program quality itself. The moderate sample size means a few high earners could be skewing these numbers upward.

For North Dakota families, this program ranks at the bottom of in-state options. Unless your child has specific reasons to attend Lake Region State—location, support services, or a clear transfer pathway to a four-year program—the data suggests starting at Bismarck State or North Dakota State College of Science would provide better immediate career prospects with similar debt levels.