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

Mohave Community College's liberal arts associate's degree outperforms 93% of similar programs nationally—impressive for a general studies degree—but charges above-average debt for Arizona without delivering the earnings to justify it. While graduates earn $34,557 their first year out (well above the national median of $27,248), that's still below Arizona's state median and notably less than what peers earn at Mesa Community College or Yavapai College, where first-year earnings reach $46,000 and $37,000 respectively.

The more concerning pattern is what happens next: earnings actually decline to $31,710 by year four, an 8% drop that's unusual even for associate's degrees. Meanwhile, the $15,000 median debt sits 45% higher than Arizona's typical $10,332 for this program. At a community college—where keeping costs low is the primary value proposition—graduating with significantly above-average debt undermines the whole model.

For Arizona families, this creates an awkward position: decent starting earnings but a premium price tag that other in-state community colleges avoid while delivering comparable or better outcomes. If your child is certain about pursuing this path at Mohave specifically, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43 remains manageable. But the combination of higher-than-typical debt and declining earnings suggests exploring what Mesa or Yavapai offer first, especially given their stronger track records.