Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Northern Wyoming Community College District
WY · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Northern Wyoming Community College District earn a median salary of $52,112 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WY, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $55,974. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.6 years.
Quick Insights
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
$34,693
Typical Career
$52,112
Top Performers
$71,871
Estimated break-even: 12.6 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$347
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,343. Most students can comfortably afford about a $347 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 Wyoming buys what costs $0.93 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
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
$55,974
Nominal: $52,112 in Wyoming (COL 93.1% of national avg) · 7.4% 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).
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 | $25,409 | $37,338 | $59,325 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $34,693 | $52,112 | $71,871 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $38,130 | $56,453 | $79,891 |
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 $52,112 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WY, which has a cost-of-living index of 93.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $52,112 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9310)
= $55,974 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that graduates enter are Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for a significant 40.3% of employment, followed closely by another 38.1% in the same sector, and 13.7% in Mining, Quarrying & Oil/Gas Extraction. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 12.6 years, suggesting that while the return on investment may take over a decade to realize, the degree provides access to stable and growing sectors, particularly in health care, which can enhance overall career prospects.
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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.