Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Paul D Camp Community College

Paul D Camp's associate's in liberal arts delivers exactly what you'd expect nationally—$27,232 first year—but outperforms most Virginia community colleges, landing in the 60th percentile statewide. That matters because it beats Virginia's $24,984 median by over $2,000 while costing less in debt than the state average. The $7,955 debt load is manageable, creating a 0.29 debt-to-earnings ratio that's reasonable for an associate's degree. Earnings climb 23% to $33,535 by year four, suggesting graduates either advance in their current roles or use this as a stepping stone to further education or better jobs.

The value here depends entirely on what comes next. This is a foundational degree—most students will either transfer to a four-year program or enter fields where experience matters more than credentials. It's not competing with Northern Virginia Community College's $32,144 outcomes, but it's serving a different region with different economic opportunities. For Franklin-area students, the low debt combined with above-state-average earnings makes this a solid starting point, especially if your child plans to continue their education while working. The moderate sample size suggests enough graduates to trust the data without being overly confident about consistency.

Bottom line: This is a low-risk entry point to higher education with earnings that exceed most Virginia peers and debt that won't derail future plans.