Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at New College of Florida

New College's liberal arts program starts graduates at just $20,395—landing in the bottom 10th percentile among Florida liberal arts programs and the 5th percentile nationally. That first-year figure is roughly half what graduates from similar programs across Florida earn ($35,361 median) and dramatically trails public peers like UCF ($48,391) and USF ($45,230). While the moderate sample size warrants some caution, these are concerning numbers.

The program does show strong earnings recovery, with income nearly doubling to $37,472 by year four. That growth pattern suggests delayed career momentum rather than a weak degree, and the relatively low debt burden of $15,314 prevents this from becoming a financial disaster. Still, even after that dramatic climb, graduates remain below both state and national medians, and that's four years of earning substantially less than peers elsewhere.

For families considering this program, the question is whether New College's distinctive approach—small classes, self-directed study—justifies starting your career making $15,000-$20,000 less than graduates from comparable Florida schools. The low debt helps, but the earnings gap is too wide to ignore. Unless there are compelling personal fit reasons, Florida families have stronger public options for liberal arts education.