Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Quinsigamond Community College

Quinsigamond Community College graduates with this associate degree earn $33,524 in their first year—well above the national median for liberal arts programs ($27,248) and placing them in the 89th percentile nationally. That's impressive for a community college program. Within Massachusetts, though, the picture is more modest: graduates land in the 60th percentile among state programs, trailing community college peers at Bunker Hill and Mass Bay by about $5,000 annually.

The tradeoff comes in debt. At $14,250, graduates here borrow 50% more than the typical Massachusetts liberal arts student ($9,375) and about 30% more than the national median. This "premium price" creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43—manageable but higher than you'd ideally see for an associate degree at a public community college, especially when neighboring institutions deliver similar or better outcomes with less debt.

Strong earnings growth of 19% over four years helps offset the higher borrowing, pushing median income near $40,000 by year four. For families who qualify for Pell grants (39% of students here), the federal aid will reduce that debt burden significantly. But if you're comparing community colleges in Massachusetts purely on value, programs at Bunker Hill or Mass Bay offer better starting salaries with lower debt loads. Quinsigamond works if it's your local option and you can minimize borrowing, but it's not the strongest liberal arts value in the state.