ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Kennebec Valley Community College

ME · 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 Kennebec Valley Community College earn a median salary of $35,207 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in ME, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $30,938. The degree typically pays for itself in 32.2 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

$26,421

Typical Career

$35,207

Top Performers

$46,298

Estimated break-even: 32.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$235

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,934. Most students can comfortably afford about a $235 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Maine buys what costs $1.14 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 53.0%
Educational Services 8.0%
Manufacturing 6.6%

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

$30,938

Nominal: $35,207 in Maine (COL 113.8% of national avg) · 12.1% 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).

32.2 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 $22,749 $27,992 $36,970
5 Years After Graduation $26,421 $35,207 $46,298
10 Years After Graduation $36,474 $46,663 $63,214

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 $35,207 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in ME, which has a cost-of-living index of 113.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $35,207 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1380) = $30,938 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 Kennebec Valley Community College experience a gradual increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $27,992, rising to $35,207 after five years, and reaching $46,663 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $30,937.61, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, there is potential for growth over time, albeit with a higher cost of living in Maine.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly within Health Care & Social Assistance, which account for 53.0% of employment, followed by similar figures of 51.7% and 36.1% in subsequent roles. This concentration suggests a strong alignment between the program and the needs of the health sector. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 32.2 years, indicating a long-term return on investment. Students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their career trajectories.

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See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Kennebec Valley Community College 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.