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

UNC-Chapel Hill's liberal arts program delivers something increasingly rare: a debt load that's actually manageable. At just $13,000, students here graduate with less than half the typical debt burden for this degree nationally ($27,000) and dramatically less than the $28,307 median across North Carolina programs. That's a meaningful advantage for a prestigious public university.

The earnings picture is more modest. Starting at $37,709, graduates slightly outperform both the national and state medians, ranking in the 60th percentile among North Carolina schools. However, they trail the top liberal arts programs in the state—Belmont Abbey and NC State grads earn $9,000-$4,000 more right out of the gate. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.34 means students can theoretically pay off their loans in about four months of gross salary, which is excellent by any measure.

Here's what matters: this isn't a program that will catapult your child into high earnings, but it won't saddle them with crushing debt either. For families who value the broader credential and network of a top-tier public university—and who understand that liberal arts degrees often require graduate school or time to develop specialized skills—the low debt makes this a viable foundation. Just know you're paying for the UNC name and flexibility, not immediate earning power.