Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University's liberal arts associate's program dramatically outperforms expectations, with graduates earning $43,806 in their first year—placing it in the 95th percentile nationally and 80th percentile within New Hampshire. To put this in perspective, the national median for similar programs is just $27,248, meaning SNHU graduates earn about 61% more than the typical graduate. Even within New Hampshire, where the state median is $32,950, SNHU graduates earn roughly $11,000 more annually.

The debt picture is remarkably favorable. At $19,592, student debt sits in the 5th percentile nationally (meaning 95% of similar programs saddle students with more debt), and the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45 is quite manageable. While SNHU's debt is higher than New Hampshire's median of $13,299, the substantially higher earnings more than compensate. Graduates see solid 10% earnings growth over four years, reaching $48,162.

This represents exceptional value for a liberal arts associate's degree, especially considering SNHU's 96% admission rate and the fact that 47% of students receive Pell grants. The combination of strong post-graduation earnings, reasonable debt levels, and broad accessibility makes this program a standout choice that should reassure parents about return on investment.