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

The small sample size here demands caution, but these numbers reveal a troubling debt burden that would be concerning even if the data were rock-solid. Graduates are leaving with $55,541 in debt—more than double the typical load for this degree nationwide—while earning just $25,777 in their first year. That's roughly $30,000 less than graduates from Louisiana's stronger liberal arts programs like ULM or McNeese State, and $7,000 below even the state median.

This debt-to-earnings ratio of 2.15 means students are borrowing more than twice what they'll earn in their first year, creating a financial hole that would take years to climb out of. Even among Louisiana's liberal arts programs, where earnings aren't particularly high, this program ranks in just the 25th percentile. The school serves a significant population of Pell-eligible students (45%), making this debt load especially problematic for families who can least afford extended repayment struggles.

If your child is set on liberal arts in Louisiana, the data suggests looking at virtually any alternative state school, where graduates typically earn 30-40% more with half the debt. Given the uncertainty around these numbers, you'd want to contact the school directly for more recent outcomes data before making any commitment.