Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College

At just under $11,000 in debt and solid earning potential, Southcentral Kentucky's liberal arts associate program represents a relatively safe stepping stone. Graduates earn $27,263 in their first year—exactly matching the state median and hitting the national average dead-on. More importantly, earnings grow a respectable 16% to reach $31,640 by year four, suggesting graduates either advance in their positions or successfully transfer to four-year programs.

The debt picture deserves attention here. With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.40, graduates owe less than half their first year's salary—a manageable burden that most can realistically pay down. Kentucky's liberal arts programs actually tend to saddle students with more debt (the state median is $11,758), so Southcentral keeps costs slightly lower than neighboring schools. However, the performance ceiling is real: top Kentucky programs like Jefferson Community and Technical College see graduates earning $36,623, nearly $10,000 more annually.

For families viewing this as a general education credential before transferring to a four-year institution, the math works—low debt and typical outcomes create flexibility for what comes next. But students planning to enter the workforce immediately after graduation should recognize they'll be starting in the high $20Ks, which limits financial independence in the short term. This program does what it promises without surprises, making it a reasonable foundation rather than a destination.