Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of North Carolina Asheville

The small sample size here warrants caution, but the pattern is troubling: UNC Asheville's liberal arts graduates earn just $22,144 in their first year—barely 60% of what similar graduates make at other North Carolina schools and placing this program in the bottom 10th percentile statewide. Even four years out, when earnings climb to $28,552, graduates still trail the state median by more than $5,000. Compare this to UNC Chapel Hill's liberal arts program, where graduates earn $37,709, or NC State at $41,661. The debt load is relatively modest at $18,743, but that provides little comfort when starting salaries barely cover living expenses.

The 29% earnings growth is the program's one bright spot, suggesting graduates do gain traction after a rocky start. But beginning your career making $22,000 creates real financial stress, even with manageable debt. For context, this is substantially below living wage in the Asheville area. Unless your child has clear graduate school plans or external financial support to weather those early years, this program presents serious concerns. The highly accessible admission (94% acceptance rate) suggests UNC Asheville may be trading on the UNC system's reputation without delivering comparable outcomes in this particular major.