Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Russell Sage College

A bachelor's in Liberal Arts from Russell Sage comes with an estimated $24,865 in debt—slightly below what similar New York programs typically carry—but the earnings picture raises questions about whether this investment pencils out. Based on comparable programs across the state, first-year earnings hover around $35,817, which actually dips to $32,673 by year four. That backward slide is unusual and worth understanding: are graduates shifting into lower-paying but more fulfilling work, or is the degree struggling to open doors in New York's competitive job market?

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 isn't alarming on its face, but it tells only part of the story when your income might actually decrease after those first years out of school. With 43% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are counting on this degree to deliver financial mobility. Yet peer institutions in New York—from Mercy University's $46,408 to Cornell's similar figure—show that liberal arts graduates can earn significantly more, suggesting the credential itself isn't the ceiling.

For families considering Russell Sage, the key question is whether this specific program provides the career support, alumni network, or graduate school preparation that could reverse that earnings trajectory. The estimates here suggest outcomes similar to a typical New York liberal arts program, but without clarity on where graduates actually land, you're betting on a path that may require additional credentials or pivots to reach stable earning power.