Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at McNeese State University

McNeese State's Associate in Liberal Arts delivers something unusual: exceptionally strong earnings that put it in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th percentile among Louisiana programs. At $37,650 one year out, graduates earn nearly $10,000 more than their counterparts at Northwestern State and roughly $10,000 above the state median. That's remarkable for an associate degree from a school with open-ish admissions.

The catch is debt—at $17,125, it's higher than the Louisiana median of $17,789 but manageable given the earnings. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45 means graduates could theoretically pay off loans in roughly half a year's salary, which is solid. Earnings also grow to nearly $40,000 by year four, suggesting this isn't just short-term placement success. However, the moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) means individual outcomes could vary more than at larger programs.

For families looking at associate degrees in Louisiana, this stands out as the clear leader among liberal arts programs. The premium you're paying in debt buys you a genuine earnings advantage—roughly $10,000 annually over the typical Louisiana program. That gap more than justifies the slightly higher borrowing, especially if your student plans to stay in the Lake Charles area where McNeese's connections appear strongest.