ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Averett University

VA · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 24.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Averett University earn a median salary of $46,982 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $45,836. The degree typically pays for itself in 17.4 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$39,216

Typical Career

$46,982

Top Performers

$54,757

Estimated break-even: 17.4 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$313

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,915. Most students can comfortably afford about a $313 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Educational Services, Health Care & Social Assistance, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 20.1%
Health Care & Social Assistance 12.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 10.3%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$45,836

Nominal: $46,982 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

17.4 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $25,937 $35,910 $44,398
5 Years After Graduation $39,216 $46,982 $54,757
10 Years After Graduation $41,799 $50,858 $61,703

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $46,982 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $46,982 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $45,836 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities from Averett University can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $35,910, increasing to $46,982 five years later, and reaching $50,858 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median earnings after five years align more closely with a national equivalent of $45,836.1, reflecting the cost of living in Virginia, which has a COL index of 1.025 compared to the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (20.1%), Health Care & Social Assistance (12.6%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (10.3%). The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 17.4 years, indicating a long-term return on investment. While the initial earnings may not be as high as some other fields, the diverse opportunities in stable industries suggest that a degree in this area can provide valuable skills and career flexibility over time.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Averett University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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