Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Pittsburg State University

A Kansas family considering Pittsburg State's liberal arts program faces an uncomfortable reality: their graduate will earn about $6,000 less annually than peers who chose similar programs at other Kansas public universities like Fort Hays or Emporia State. Starting at $36,597, these graduates rank in just the 40th percentile among Kansas liberal arts programs—essentially bottom-half performance within their own state, despite borrowing $23,500 to get there. The 20% earnings growth to year four is encouraging, but even at $43,819, graduates remain well behind what they could have earned elsewhere from day one.

The debt burden compounds the problem. At 76th percentile nationally, Pittsburg State liberal arts graduates carry more debt than most peers while earning less—a particularly difficult combination for a degree that doesn't lead to high starting salaries anywhere. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.64 means graduates owe roughly eight months of their first year's salary, manageable but harder to justify when peers at Fort Hays start $6,000 ahead with similar debt loads.

For Kansas families, this is a straightforward choice: if your child is set on liberal arts, Fort Hays or even Emporia State deliver better financial outcomes at comparable cost. Pittsburg State's 88% admission rate and modest academic profile suggest it welcomes most applicants, but that accessibility doesn't translate to competitive graduate earnings within Kansas. Unless location or specific faculty relationships matter significantly, other state options provide clearer returns.