Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at St Catherine University

Minnesota's liberal arts programs typically produce much stronger outcomes than the national estimates suggest for St. Catherine. While peer programs nationally indicate around $36,340 in first-year earnings, similar programs across Minnesota report a median of $52,930—nearly $16,000 higher. That's a substantial gap that should factor into your calculations, especially since the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and Metropolitan State both show graduates earning well above $49,000. Whether St. Catherine's outcomes align more with state peers or national averages makes an enormous difference in how quickly your daughter could manage the estimated $27,000 in debt.

The 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio looks manageable on paper if actual earnings land near Minnesota norms, but becomes more challenging at the lower national figure. A $27,000 debt load on $36,000 in earnings means roughly three-quarters of a year's salary going toward repayment—tight but workable. At $52,000, that same debt becomes far more comfortable to service. The problem is uncertainty: without program-specific data from St. Catherine, you're making a decision in the dark about which scenario is more realistic.

Contact St. Catherine's career services directly and ask for placement data specific to their liberal arts graduates. Where do they work? What are starting salaries? How does their 94% admission rate and mission as a women's university affect outcomes? Those answers will tell you whether you're looking at a Minnesota-caliber program or something closer to the national baseline—and that distinction is worth tens of thousands of dollars over the repayment period.