Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Western Connecticut State University

Western Connecticut State's liberal arts program produces first-year earnings of just $27,784—nearly $17,000 below the Connecticut median and in the bottom 10th percentile statewide. To put that in perspective, graduates earn less than half what their peers at Yale make, but they also trail UConn and even Charter Oak State College by roughly $16,000. This isn't just a "Yale is elite" gap; this program underperforms across the board in a state where liberal arts grads typically start near $44,000.

The debt load of $26,782 isn't catastrophic, but paired with those meager earnings, you're looking at nearly a full year's salary owed—a ratio that makes monthly payments genuinely burdensome. The sample size here is small (under 30 graduates), which means these figures could shift with more data, but the current picture suggests graduates struggle to gain traction in Connecticut's job market despite the state's relatively strong economy and proximity to New York.

If your child is set on liberal arts and Connecticut residency, the in-state options at UConn campuses offer significantly better earning potential at similar or lower debt levels. Unless there's a compelling non-financial reason to choose Western Connecticut State—a specific faculty mentor, location needs, or program features—this data argues strongly for looking elsewhere.