Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at St. Francis College

A $22,500 debt load puts St. Francis College's liberal arts program comfortably below both the state median ($24,916) and national median ($27,000) for this degree—a meaningful advantage for families considering a general studies path. Based on comparable programs in New York, graduates typically earn around $35,817 in their first year, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63. That's manageable by most standards, suggesting the debt could realistically be paid down within a few years of graduation.

The challenge lies in what liberal arts graduates from peer institutions actually earn. The top-performing New York programs in this field report first-year earnings ranging from $45,000 to nearly $75,000—substantially higher than the state median St. Francis's outcomes likely track. With nearly half of students receiving Pell grants, St. Francis serves a population where every dollar of debt matters, making the relatively modest borrowing a genuine plus.

For families weighing this program, the lower debt is the real story here. While earnings from similar New York programs cluster around the mid-$30,000s—not the trajectory you'd hope for after four years of college—at least graduates aren't carrying the heavier debt burdens common at peer schools. If your student is committed to liberal arts at St. Francis specifically, they're entering with eyes open about likely starting salaries but with a debt load that won't dominate their twenties.