Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Saddleback College

Saddleback College's Liberal Arts certificate produces troubling outcomes that fall well below what similar California community colleges achieve. At $19,673 annually, graduates earn nearly $8,000 less than the California median for these programs—ranking just 25th percentile statewide. This gap is stark when you compare it to nearby community colleges: East Los Angeles College graduates from the same certificate program earn $33,628, nearly 71% more.

The debt level appears manageable at $5,500, but even this modest burden looks concerning against such low earnings. While the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.28 seems reasonable on paper, it reflects earnings so depressed that almost any debt becomes a challenge. Among California programs, Saddleback ranks 95th percentile for debt—meaning 95% of similar programs saddle students with less debt—despite the absolute amount being relatively small.

For a certificate program at a community college, these numbers suggest something isn't working. Whether it's the curriculum, student support, or regional job placement, graduates are landing in significantly lower-earning positions than peers at comparable California institutions. Unless your child has very specific reasons to pursue this particular certificate at Saddleback—like geographic constraints or a clear transfer plan—other California community colleges demonstrate much stronger outcomes for the same credential and investment.