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Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Great Falls College Montana State University

MT · 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 Great Falls College Montana State University earn a median salary of $45,360 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,573. The degree typically pays for itself in 15.3 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

$33,344

Typical Career

$45,360

Top Performers

$64,351

Estimated break-even: 15.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$302

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,780. Most students can comfortably afford about a $302 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 Montana buys what costs $1.04 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 45.9%
Educational Services 8.6%
Retail Trade 8.1%

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

$43,573

Nominal: $45,360 in Montana (COL 104.1% of national avg) · 3.9% 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).

15.3 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 $22,346 $30,024 $41,202
5 Years After Graduation $33,344 $45,360 $64,351
10 Years After Graduation $41,058 $56,642 $75,884

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 $45,360 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MT, which has a cost-of-living index of 104.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $45,360 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0410) = $43,573 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 Great Falls College Montana State University can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $30,024, which increases to $45,360 after five years and reaches $56,642 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at approximately $43,573.49, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living despite the cost of living index in Montana being slightly higher than the national average.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, with 45.9% entering this sector one year post-graduation. This trend continues with 35.1% and 33.2% of graduates remaining in the same field five and ten years later, respectively. Considering the estimated break-even point of approximately 15.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears to be reasonable. Graduates can expect to find stable employment opportunities in a growing industry, contributing positively to their long-term financial outlook.

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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.