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

Oakwood's liberal arts program graduates carry nearly double their first-year salary in debt—an unusually heavy burden for this field. With median debt of $51,250 against just $30,724 in early earnings, graduates face a financial reality that ranks among the worst 5% nationally for debt levels. Even within Alabama, where liberal arts graduates generally earn modestly, this program sits at the state median for earnings but with debt nearly twice the typical $29,750 Alabama students carry.

The small graduating class (under 30 students) means these numbers could swing considerably year to year, but the pattern is concerning: graduates here earn $5,600 less than the national liberal arts median while shouldering almost double the typical debt load. For context, Athens State and UAB liberal arts graduates in Alabama start $10,000-$20,000 higher. Nearly half of Oakwood students receive Pell grants, suggesting many families are already stretching financially—making this debt burden particularly risky.

If your child is drawn to Oakwood specifically, understand they'll likely need a clear plan for managing substantial debt on entry-level earnings. For a general liberal arts degree without a specific career path requiring this institution, the debt-to-earnings mathematics argue strongly for exploring Alabama's public universities, where comparable programs come with far less financial weight.