Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of Maryland Global Campus

University of Maryland Global Campus produces graduates earning roughly $34,000 in their first year—trailing both the national and Maryland medians by about $2,000. Among the 14 Maryland schools offering this degree, this program sits near the bottom half, with several public universities like Salisbury and Morgan State delivering substantially higher outcomes. The relatively modest debt load of $20,500 is a genuine bright spot, coming in well below typical borrowing for this degree, though the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means these figures could shift significantly with more data.

The 10% earnings growth to $37,000 by year four suggests some upward mobility, but graduates still end up earning less than their peers from comparable Maryland programs. For context, even Frostburg State—another regional public option—sees graduates earning about $33,000 initially but climbing higher. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.60 is manageable, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off loans within a year if they dedicated their entire salary to it, but the core issue remains the relatively weak earning power of the degree itself.

If your child is considering UMGC for its flexibility or online options, the lower debt burden makes this less risky than some alternatives. However, if they can access other Maryland public universities with stronger track records in this field, those appear to offer better returns on a similar investment.