Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Louisiana State University-Shreveport

Louisiana State University-Shreveport graduates with this degree earn $34,855 in their first year—above the Louisiana median but a few thousand short of the national benchmark. More concerning is the debt load: at $34,500, graduates carry nearly a full year's salary in loans, placing this program in the 95th percentile nationally for debt burden. That's substantially higher than both the national and Louisiana median of $27,000. For a family watching costs, this makes LSUS-Shreveport one of the more expensive options for a liberal arts degree in the state, despite ranking middle-of-the-pack among Louisiana programs in earning power.

The four-year outlook offers little relief. Earnings barely budge to $35,807, representing just 3% growth and suggesting graduates may face limited advancement opportunities without additional credentials. This stands in contrast to programs like University of Louisiana at Monroe, where liberal arts graduates earn slightly more from the start. The debt-to-earnings ratio of nearly 1:1 means monthly loan payments will consume a significant portion of take-home pay during those crucial early career years.

If your child is set on this degree path in Louisiana, consider whether the $7,500 in extra debt over the state median is justified by LSUS-Shreveport's location or other factors. The earnings trajectory here looks flat, which typically signals either a terminal degree outcome or the need for graduate school to unlock better opportunities.