Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Texas A&M University-College Station

Texas A&M's Liberal Arts bachelor's comes with estimated debt of $26,175—manageable on its own, but the projected $38,829 first-year salary creates a tighter squeeze than ideal. Similar programs in Texas typically produce this same earning level, which sits above the national median but notably trails what other Texas schools report for their graduates. The University of Texas at Austin, for instance, reports $45,243 for its liberal arts grads, while University of St Thomas reaches $53,187. That gap matters when you're making the same debt payments.

The 0.67 debt-to-earnings ratio falls in reasonable territory for a generalist degree, meaning graduates would dedicate roughly two-thirds of their first-year income to cover total debt if paid immediately. For context, comparable programs across Texas carry similar debt loads around $26,875. The challenge is less about affordability in absolute terms and more about opportunity cost—you're paying flagship tuition for outcomes that mirror the state average rather than exceeding it.

For a Texas family, this means weighing A&M's strong alumni network and campus resources against the reality that the degree itself may not command a premium in the job market. If your student has clear graduate school plans or values the full university experience for reasons beyond immediate earnings, the investment makes more sense. Otherwise, the estimates suggest they could achieve similar financial outcomes at less selective Texas schools while preserving more financial flexibility for what comes next.