Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at St. John Fisher University

A bachelor's in Liberal Arts from St. John Fisher comes with an estimated $24,865 in debt—slightly below both the state and national medians for this degree. While that's manageable compared to many programs, the challenge lies in what graduates can expect to earn. Comparable programs in New York typically produce first-year earnings around $35,800, which creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69. That means a graduate would owe roughly 70% of their annual salary, requiring careful budgeting in those early career years.

The bigger concern is the earnings trajectory. Some Liberal Arts programs in New York—like those at Molloy or Cornell—see graduates earning $45,000 to $75,000 in their first year, more than double what peer programs suggest for St. John Fisher. Whether that gap reflects different career paths, geographic factors, or program focus isn't clear from the data, but it highlights how much variation exists within this field. For a degree that costs roughly the same across institutions, that earnings difference matters significantly over time.

The practical reality: if your student thrives in Liberal Arts and has a clear plan for leveraging the degree—whether that's graduate school, specific career connections, or a field where the credential opens doors—the debt level itself won't be crushing. But given the uncertainty around these estimates and the wide range of outcomes statewide, have concrete conversations about post-graduation plans before committing. A Liberal Arts degree's value often depends heavily on what a student does with it.