Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Mount St. Mary's University

In Maryland, liberal arts programs show surprising variation—the top earners at Notre Dame of Maryland University report nearly $49,000 in first-year earnings, while comparable programs elsewhere in the state cluster between $33,000 and $40,000. Mount St. Mary's sits right at the state median based on peer programs, with estimated first-year earnings around $36,300 and estimated debt of $27,000. That 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable, meaning graduates would owe roughly three-quarters of their first year's salary—a workable starting point for loan repayment, though not particularly advantageous.

The caveat here is significant: both figures are estimates drawn from similar programs because Mount St. Mary's cohort was too small for the Department of Education to publish outcomes. You're essentially betting on this program performing like the Maryland average for liberal arts degrees, without confirmation that it actually does. Given Mount St. Mary's 72% admission rate and modest test scores, there's no obvious reason to expect it would dramatically outperform state peers, but neither is there evidence it underperforms.

For families paying full freight at a private university, the question becomes whether Mount St. Mary's particular environment—smaller classes, campus culture, network—justifies potential costs beyond what comparable programs at Maryland public universities might charge. The estimated outcomes suggest a functional but unremarkable return, making the total price tag the deciding factor.