Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Trine University

A bachelor's degree that leaves you with $27,000 in debt while earning just under $36,000 in your first year isn't disastrous, but it's not exactly launching you ahead either. These figures come from comparable Liberal Arts programs at Indiana private universities, since Trine's own graduate outcomes for this major aren't publicly available due to small sample sizes. The 0.75 debt-to-earnings ratio sits right at the threshold where student debt remains manageable—a full year's salary could theoretically cover your obligations—but with monthly payments likely consuming 8-10% of take-home pay, there won't be much financial cushion early on.

What's particularly telling is how these estimated outcomes stack up against Indiana's top performers in this field. Notre Dame and several other Indiana schools report first-year earnings in the $43,000-$45,000 range for similar degrees—roughly $8,000 to $10,000 more annually than what peer programs suggest for Trine graduates. That gap compounds quickly over time and could mean the difference between moving out on your own comfortably versus budgeting every expense.

For a family considering Trine specifically, understand that you're making this decision with borrowed data points rather than the school's actual track record in this major. If your student is set on a general Liberal Arts degree rather than one of Trine's engineering or technical programs where the school has established strength, have an honest conversation about whether this path justifies the private school premium when Indiana's public universities might deliver similar outcomes at lower cost.