Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of Providence

Is $27,000 in debt manageable on $36,000 in first-year earnings? Peer programs nationally suggest yes—that 0.74 debt-to-earnings ratio means graduates would dedicate roughly three-quarters of one year's salary to loan repayment, a threshold many financial advisors consider reasonable. However, these figures come from comparable liberal arts programs nationwide, not University of Providence's actual graduates, so they represent a starting point for assessment rather than a guarantee.

The state context reveals an interesting pattern. Montana's other liberal arts programs—including Montana State at $30,380 and MSU Billings at $29,832—produce first-year earnings well below the national median. If University of Providence's graduates follow Montana trends rather than national ones, that $27,000 debt load becomes significantly heavier relative to income. The question becomes whether a smaller private institution in Great Falls can beat the outcomes at Montana's larger public universities, or whether the same regional job market constraints apply.

For an anxious parent, the core uncertainty here isn't the program itself—liberal arts degrees serve valuable purposes—but whether this specific school justifies taking on debt when outcomes data doesn't yet exist. Given Montana's consistently lower earnings for these majors, you'd want strong evidence that University of Providence's career services, alumni network, or employer connections provide advantages that offset the risk of ending up closer to $30,000 than $36,000 in earnings.