Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Schreiner University

Borrowing $27,000 to earn roughly $39,000 a year is neither a disaster nor a windfall—it's simply average for a Liberal Arts bachelor's degree in Texas. What makes this estimate particularly uncertain is that Schreiner's actual graduate outcomes are suppressed due to small sample sizes, so we're relying on what similar Texas programs typically produce. The good news: the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 sits right at the threshold where education debt becomes manageable rather than crushing. The concerning part: other Liberal Arts programs across Texas—including those at UT Austin and University of St Thomas—report significantly higher earnings, suggesting this field's value varies dramatically by institution.

The 44% Pell grant enrollment at Schreiner means many families here are making this investment with limited financial cushion, which makes the uncertainty around outcomes particularly important to acknowledge. Based on comparable programs statewide, first-year earnings of $38,829 would place graduates slightly above the national median for this degree, but well behind what top Texas programs achieve. That gap—sometimes $15,000 or more annually—compounds over a career.

For families considering Schreiner specifically, the lack of reported outcomes means you're essentially betting on the state average. If your student has strong alternatives with transparent data showing better outcomes, those deserve serious consideration. If Schreiner offers unique value—location, community, specific faculty—that justifies the uncertainty, just know you're choosing it despite the data picture, not because of it.