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

A liberal arts bachelor's degree with an estimated debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.77 lands squarely in manageable territory—but the incomplete picture here matters. Because Milligan's graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to publish actual outcomes, these figures reflect what similar Tennessee programs typically produce: around $37,400 in first-year earnings against roughly $29,000 in debt.

That earnings estimate sits right at Tennessee's median for liberal arts programs, though it trails the state's top performers by $8,000 or more. Schools like Lee University and Middle Tennessee State University report substantially higher outcomes for their liberal arts graduates—$45,000+ in first year earnings—which suggests meaningful variation in how these degrees translate to job prospects. The debt burden here is slightly above the national median for this major, though not drastically so.

The practical challenge: liberal arts degrees are notoriously field-dependent in their returns, and without knowing Milligan's specific employment patterns or what concentrations students pursue, you're betting on an average that may not apply to your child's path. If they're targeting careers where a general liberal arts credential opens doors—nonprofits, education, certain business roles—these numbers could work. But if graduate school is likely, that debt becomes a down payment on further borrowing, and the lack of specific data makes it harder to judge whether Milligan's network and career support justify the private school premium over Tennessee's public options.