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

Lake-Sumter State College's liberal arts associate program starts rough but tells a recovery story. That first-year salary of $23,608 sits well below Florida's median for this degree, landing in just the 40th percentile statewide. But the 43% earnings jump to $33,754 by year four suggests graduates find better footing once they transfer or gain work experience—a trajectory that outpaces typical associate-level liberal arts outcomes.

The financial risk here is remarkably low. At $6,822, graduates carry about one-third of the typical debt for this program, making the weak initial earnings more manageable. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 means you could theoretically pay off the entire balance in under four months of gross income by year four—uncomfortably tight initially, but increasingly workable as earnings climb.

For parents, this program makes sense primarily as a transfer stepping stone, not a terminal degree. The low debt preserves options if your student needs to continue their education elsewhere (where stronger programs like Saint Leo's show associate liberal arts grads can earn over $40,000). If your student plans to work immediately after graduation with just this associate degree, the first-year earnings will be tight, but the financial exposure is limited enough that it won't derail their future plans.