Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Lawrence University

Lawrence's liberal arts program carries an estimated $27,000 in debt—in line with national norms—but peer programs in Wisconsin suggest first-year earnings around $43,700, putting this at a manageable 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio. That's roughly six months of gross income to repay student loans, which falls within reasonable territory for a bachelor's degree. The estimated earnings match Wisconsin's median for this field and exceed the national benchmark by nearly $7,400, though several state universities report stronger outcomes, with UW-Green Bay graduates earning $54,400 in their first year.

The challenge with a general liberal arts degree is that outcomes depend heavily on how graduates leverage the credential—into graduate school, specific career paths, or industries that value broad analytical skills. Lawrence's selective profile (average SAT of 1349, 63% admission rate) suggests students who may be well-positioned to translate a liberal arts education into competitive opportunities, but without program-specific data, it's impossible to know if this particular cohort achieves better or worse results than the state average.

For families investing in this program, the debt load appears manageable based on comparable programs, but recognize you're looking at estimates derived from peers across Wisconsin, not Lawrence's actual track record. If your student has clear post-graduation plans that utilize a liberal arts foundation—law school, nonprofit management, communications roles—this could work. If they're uncertain about next steps, that $27,000 becomes harder to justify without concrete evidence of Lawrence's specific value-add.