Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Macalester College

A $27,000 debt load for estimated first-year earnings of $36,340 creates a 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio that looks manageable on paper—you're borrowing less than a year's salary. But here's what should concern you: this national benchmark sits $16,590 below what similar programs in Minnesota typically produce. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities graduates from this field earn $56,778 their first year, while Metropolitan State hits $49,083. That gap matters when you're servicing debt payments.

Macalester's 28% admission rate and 1424 average SAT signal a competitive student body, but without actual outcomes data for this specific program, you're betting that the school's reputation translates into earnings that beat the modest national average used here. Liberal arts degrees at elite schools often rely on alumni networks and career services to boost outcomes—factors that don't show up in these peer-program estimates.

The practical question: can your family absorb the risk that actual earnings might track closer to $36,000 than $50,000? At the lower figure, monthly loan payments would consume roughly 9% of take-home pay—tight but doable. If this program performs more like other Minnesota schools, the financial picture improves considerably. Given the data limitations, you'll want direct answers from Macalester about actual graduate outcomes and job placement rates before committing.