Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Spokane Falls Community College

Spokane Falls Community College's Liberal Arts associate's program performs right in the middle of the pack—which for a relatively low-stakes community college degree, is actually reasonable news. At $28,078 in first-year earnings, graduates earn slightly more than the national median and sit right at Washington's state median. More importantly, they're taking on $11,991 in debt, which is higher than the state typical $9,500 but still represents a debt load they can manage in roughly five months of earnings. Among Washington's 38 programs, this ranks in the 60th percentile—solidly above average for the state.

The 21% earnings bump from year one to year four ($33,928) shows graduates aren't stuck at entry-level wages, though they're still trailing stronger performers like Spokane Community College down the road, whose graduates earn $34,583 right out of the gate. For students planning to transfer to a four-year school, these numbers matter less since the associate's is just a stepping stone. But for those entering the workforce directly, understand that $34,000 is modest in today's economy—enough to get started, but not enough to ignore the importance of career planning.

The bottom line: This is a standard community college outcome at a manageable price. If your child needs general education credits before transferring, the debt level won't hamstring their future. If they're stopping at the associate's level, they should have a clear plan for how this degree connects to employment.