Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Portland Community College
OR · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Portland Community College earn a median salary of $48,319 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OR, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $42,274. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.1 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
$33,410
Typical Career
$48,319
Top Performers
$68,531
Estimated break-even: 12.1 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$322
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,027. Most students can comfortably afford about a $322 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 Oregon buys what costs $1.14 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Manufacturing, Educational Services.
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
$42,274
Nominal: $48,319 in Oregon (COL 114.3% of national avg) · 12.5% 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).
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 | $23,710 | $33,484 | $48,030 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $33,410 | $48,319 | $68,531 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $43,711 | $63,195 | $90,011 |
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 $48,319 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OR, which has a cost-of-living index of 114.3% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $48,319 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1430)
= $42,274 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The top industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 24.0% of employment, followed closely by another segment of Health Care & Social Assistance at 22.5%, and Manufacturing at 16.4%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 12.1 years, indicating a long-term return on investment. Overall, while the initial earnings may be modest, the degree offers a pathway to stable employment in growing sectors, suggesting a favorable long-term ROI for graduates.
Compare with Another School
See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Portland 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.