Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of Missouri-St Louis

A liberal arts degree from UM-St. Louis lands graduates right at the median for Missouri—but with a significant debt burden that demands scrutiny. At $35,750, graduates carry roughly $7,000 more debt than the typical Missouri student in this program, while earning essentially the same amount ($40,966 vs. $37,588 after four years). This puts the program in the 5th percentile nationally for debt, meaning 95% of comparable programs leave students with less to repay.

The earnings trajectory shows modest but steady growth, with graduates seeing a 7% bump from year one to year four. That's reassuring for a field often criticized for poor ROI, and the program does outperform the national median. However, context matters: private schools like William Jewell and Saint Louis University deliver salaries nearly $10,000 higher, though likely at higher tuition costs. Even UM-Kansas City edges ahead by about $1,000 annually with comparable debt loads.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.93 means graduates owe nearly a full year's salary—manageable but tight for liberal arts careers that often start modestly. If your child is passionate about the humanities and committed to staying in Missouri, this program won't close doors. Just ensure they understand the debt load and have a clear plan for career direction, because there's little margin for error when loan payments kick in.