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

National University's online associate degree in liberal arts posts surprisingly strong numbers—$41,545 in first-year earnings that climb to $46,351 by year four. That's 95th percentile performance both nationally and among California programs, well ahead of the state median of $27,524. Even the top-performing community colleges in California don't match these figures. The 12% earnings growth and low debt load ($10,008) create a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.24, meaning graduates earn back their borrowing in roughly three months.

The major caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so these results may not be typical. The Pell grant figure (26%, lower than most community colleges) suggests this program may attract working professionals who already have some career momentum, which could explain the exceptional earnings. These aren't traditional 19-year-olds starting from scratch—they're likely adults leveraging the associate degree to advance existing careers or pivot in mid-stream.

For parents of traditional-age students, the better play is probably starting at a California community college, where you'll pay far less tuition for similar credentials. But if your adult child needs flexibility and already has work experience, National University's online format might justify the premium—just understand you're betting on a limited dataset.