Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Minnesota West Community and Technical College

Minnesota West's Liberal Arts program sits in an awkward middle ground for in-state students. While it beats the national median by about $2,000, it actually underperforms Minnesota's state median by roughly $3,000—landing in just the 40th percentile among the state's 39 programs. For context, community colleges like Inver Hills and Riverland are producing graduates earning $8,000-$9,000 more annually with comparable debt loads.

The good news is that debt stays manageable at $11,521, and earnings climb 15% by year four to nearly $34,000. That's a reasonable trajectory for an associate's degree, and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.39 means graduates aren't drowning in payments. However, even at year four, earnings remain below what some Minnesota peers deliver right out of the gate.

The small sample size here is important—we're looking at fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers could shift considerably with a larger cohort. If your child is considering this program specifically for its location or personal fit, it's not a disaster. But if the goal is maximizing earning potential from a Minnesota community college, the data suggests looking at alternatives. Programs at Inver Hills or Riverland offer similar debt with substantially better returns, and those differences compound over a career.