ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at College of Coastal Georgia

GA · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from College of Coastal Georgia earn a median salary of $45,123 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $49,860. The degree typically pays for itself in 15.9 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$32,502

Typical Career

$45,123

Top Performers

$57,457

Estimated break-even: 15.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$301

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,760. Most students can comfortably afford about a $301 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 Georgia buys what costs $0.91 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 42.5%
Educational Services 16.4%
Accommodation & Food Services 6.7%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$49,860

Nominal: $45,123 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% higher 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).

15.9 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 $21,261 $29,240 $40,440
5 Years After Graduation $32,502 $45,123 $57,457
10 Years After Graduation $40,475 $55,784 $72,714

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 $45,123 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $45,123 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $49,860 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program at the College of Coastal Georgia experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $29,240, which rises to $45,123 after five years and reaches $55,784 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $49,859.67, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth that aligns with national trends.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 42.5% employed in this field one year after graduation, and the percentage remains significant at 38.4% and 34.9% after five and ten years, respectively. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 15.9 years, suggesting that while the return on investment may take time to materialize, the stability and demand in the health care sector could provide a reliable career trajectory for graduates in the long run.

Compare with Another School

See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at College of Coastal Georgia stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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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.