Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Navarro College

Navarro College's general studies associate degree starts rough but shows resilience. At $24,414 one year out, graduates earn about $3,000 less than Texas peers—landing in just the 40th percentile statewide. That's a real gap when similar programs at Austin Community College or Central Texas College are producing graduates earning $38,000+. However, by year four, earnings jump to $32,546, representing 33% growth that helps close some of that distance.

The debt picture offers some relief: $11,000 is manageable and typical for this field, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45. That's reasonable territory for an associate degree, meaning graduates aren't buried under payments while building their careers. Still, the reality is this program sits in the bottom third nationally for early earnings, and Texas has stronger options at comparable community colleges across the state.

For families focused solely on immediate job placement with strong earnings, this isn't the standout choice—too many Texas community colleges are outperforming Navarro by $10,000 or more annually. But if proximity matters, finances are tight, and your student plans to transfer or advance over time, the moderate debt and eventual earnings growth make this workable. Just understand you're accepting a slower start than what's available elsewhere in Texas.