Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Minnesota State University-Mankato

A liberal arts degree from Minnesota State-Mankato carries estimated debt of $27,000 against first-year earnings that peer programs nationally suggest will be around $36,000. That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.73 is manageable on paper, but here's the catch: other liberal arts programs in Minnesota report significantly stronger outcomes. The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Metropolitan State both show graduates earning in the $49,000-$57,000 range—nearly 40% more than what comparable programs nationally suggest for Mankato graduates.

This gap matters because Minnesota's job market clearly supports higher earnings for liberal arts graduates. The state median of $53,000 is $17,000 above the national figure that's being used to estimate Mankato's outcomes. Without actual reported data for this specific program, you're betting on whether Mankato's graduates will perform closer to the national average or closer to Minnesota's stronger state performance. The school's 91% admission rate and lower SAT profile suggest it may skew toward the former, but that's conjecture.

The practical concern: if actual earnings land near the $36,000 estimate rather than the Minnesota norm, your child would be taking on debt for outcomes that substantially lag behind what other in-state options deliver. Given the uncertainty and the documented strength of competing programs, you'd want compelling reasons—specific faculty, program features, or career support—to choose Mankato over schools with proven track records in this field.