Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of Minnesota-Duluth

Minnesota's liberal arts programs show striking variation in outcomes, and without direct data for UMN-Duluth, families face real uncertainty. Comparable programs across the state produce median first-year earnings of $52,930—nearly $16,000 more than the national benchmark suggests for this program. UMN-Twin Cities graduates in this field start around $56,778, while Metropolitan State grads average $49,083, demonstrating that location and institutional resources matter considerably even within a single state.

The estimated $26,662 in debt aligns closely with both state and national norms, but the earnings estimate of $36,340 falls short of what other Minnesota programs deliver. If actual outcomes track closer to the state median rather than the national figure used here, the program becomes far more viable—a 0.5 debt-to-earnings ratio instead of 0.73. That difference represents thousands of dollars in practical breathing room for loan repayment.

Given UMN-Duluth's reasonable selectivity and Minnesota's generally strong liberal arts outcomes, this program could outperform the national baseline used in these estimates. But families should directly contact the university's career services for placement data specific to their graduates, particularly given how much Minnesota programs vary. The gap between the estimated figure and state benchmarks is too large to dismiss without better information.