Social Sciences at University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 suggests manageable student loans—about $24,400 estimated debt against $37,500 in first-year earnings from similar social sciences programs nationally. That puts monthly payments at roughly 7% of gross income under standard repayment, below the concerning threshold where graduates typically struggle. The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates: neither the actual earnings of UAPB's social sciences graduates nor their typical debt loads are publicly available due to small cohort sizes.

What we can say is that comparable bachelor's programs in social sciences across the country produce median earnings around $37,500, with top-performing programs reaching $43,000. UAPB serves a predominantly low-income student population (67% receive Pell grants), which often correlates with both higher debt burdens and greater economic mobility from degree completion. Social sciences degrees are notably versatile—they lead to careers in government, nonprofits, human resources, and market research—but they rarely command the immediate salaries that business or health fields offer.

The practical question is whether your child can afford the estimated monthly payment of around $270 on an entry-level salary of roughly $3,100. If they're planning graduate school or need income immediately after graduation, that math matters significantly. Without school-specific outcomes data, you're essentially betting that UAPB's results mirror the national average rather than fall below it.