ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Connecticut State Community College

CT · 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 Connecticut State Community College earn a median salary of $51,054 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $44,279. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.9 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

$35,471

Typical Career

$51,054

Top Performers

$71,647

Estimated break-even: 10.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$340

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,255. Most students can comfortably afford about a $340 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 53.3%
Educational Services 8.9%
Finance & Insurance 6.8%

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

$44,279

Nominal: $51,054 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% 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).

10.9 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 $26,795 $39,752 $57,289
5 Years After Graduation $35,471 $51,054 $71,647
10 Years After Graduation $44,468 $63,842 $87,729

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 $51,054 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $51,054 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $44,279 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program at Connecticut State Community College can expect a positive earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,752, which increases to $51,054 after five years and reaches $63,842 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary is approximately $44,279.27, reflecting the cost of living in Connecticut, which has a COL index of 1.153 compared to the national average of 1.0. This indicates that while initial earnings may be lower than in some fields, the long-term financial outlook remains promising.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 53.3% employed in this industry one year post-graduation, which remains a significant trend five years later at 46.8% and ten years later at 29.5%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 10.9 years, suggesting a moderate return on investment. Overall, while the path may require a longer commitment to achieve financial parity, the potential for growth in earnings and employment in stable industries supports the value of this educational pursuit.

Compare with Another School

See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Connecticut State Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Connecticut State Community College.

Apply to Connecticut State Community College

Explore More

Other Degrees at Connecticut State Community College

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.