Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Madisonville Community College

At just under $25,000 in first-year earnings, Madisonville's general studies associate's degree falls short of what peers at similar Kentucky community colleges achieve. While it sits at the 40th percentile statewide, that means more than half of Kentucky programs in this field deliver better outcomes—including several community colleges where graduates earn $30,000-$36,000 annually. The gap widens when you consider that Gateway and Jefferson Community and Technical College graduates make nearly 50% more right out of the gate.

The bright spot here is manageable debt. At $9,218, graduates owe less than both state and national averages, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio that won't cripple recent graduates. Earnings do grow 20% by year four, reaching $28,742, though that still trails the state median. For a general studies degree—essentially a foundation for transfer or broad workforce entry—this program gets students through without crushing debt, but it doesn't deliver the early earning power that competing Kentucky programs demonstrate is possible.

If your child plans to transfer to complete a bachelor's degree, the low debt matters more than the modest earnings. But if they're entering the workforce after this associate's, understand they'll likely start behind peers from other Kentucky community colleges, with years needed to close that gap.