Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of St Thomas

The estimated earnings here fall sharply below what Minnesota families should reasonably expect from a liberal arts degree. While comparable programs across the state typically produce median earnings of $52,930, this program's projected first-year salary of $36,340 tracks instead to the national median—a significant gap in a state where even Metropolitan State graduates in this field clear $49,000. University of Minnesota grads start near $57,000. That $16,000 difference matters when you're carrying $27,000 in debt.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.74 looks manageable on paper, but only because both figures are modest. What concerns me more is the opportunity cost: St. Thomas admits 85% of applicants with strong average test scores (1296 SAT), suggesting families are paying private university prices—likely well above the estimated debt figure for many students—for outcomes tracking to broad national averages rather than Minnesota's more robust liberal arts market. The suppressed data here means we can't see this program's actual track record, which could be better or worse than peer institutions.

For families considering this investment, the central question is whether St. Thomas's particular liberal arts program justifies its cost when peer programs in Minnesota demonstrate stronger earnings potential. Without actual outcomes data, you're banking on institutional reputation rather than verified results in a state where public alternatives show measurably better returns.