Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Southeast Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State's Liberal Arts program sits squarely in the middle of the pack—both nationally (45th percentile) and among Missouri schools (40th percentile)—which might actually be the point. With first-year earnings of $35,464 and manageable debt of $26,875, graduates face a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76, meaning they owe roughly nine months of salary. That's not stellar, but it's workable for a broad-based liberal arts degree. The 15% earnings bump to $40,773 by year four suggests graduates find their footing, though they still trail the Missouri median by about $5,000.

The real question is whether this program justifies its cost compared to alternatives. In-state, you're paying similar debt for lower returns than you'd get at Mizzou or UMKC. But if your student values a smaller-city campus experience or needs the accessibility of a 79% admission rate, the gap isn't catastrophic. The program delivers steady, modest outcomes—nothing that will wow employers, but enough to make the debt serviceable.

For families focused purely on ROI, this is a middle-of-the-road investment in a middle-of-the-road field. If your child has the academic profile for Mizzou or Saint Louis University, those extra earnings would likely offset any additional costs. Otherwise, Southeast Missouri provides a functional liberal arts foundation without burying graduates in debt they can't manage.