ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of North Georgia

GA · 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 University of North Georgia earn a median salary of $47,748 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in GA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,760. The degree typically pays for itself in 14 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

$35,246

Typical Career

$47,748

Top Performers

$62,289

Estimated break-even: 14 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$318

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,979. Most students can comfortably afford about a $318 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 Georgia buys what costs $0.91 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 32.2%
Educational Services 14.5%
Retail Trade 7.8%

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

$52,760

Nominal: $47,748 in Georgia (COL 90.5% of national avg) · 10.5% 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).

14 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 $21,066 $28,945 $41,576
5 Years After Graduation $35,246 $47,748 $62,289
10 Years After Graduation $43,982 $58,721 $78,453

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 $47,748 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in GA, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $47,748 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9050) = $52,760 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities from the University of North Georgia can expect a median earning of $28,945 one year after graduation, which rises to $47,748 after five years, and further to $58,721 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns more closely with a national equivalent of $52,760.22, reflecting the cost of living in Georgia, which has a COL index of 0.905 compared to the national average of 1.0. This suggests that while initial earnings may be modest, there is a potential for significant growth over time.

The top industries for graduates in this field include Health Care & Social Assistance (32.2%), Educational Services (29.2%), and a further 17.1% also in Health Care & Social Assistance. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 14 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree may be considered moderate. While the degree opens doors to various sectors, graduates should weigh the long-term financial benefits against the time and cost of their education.

Compare with Another School

See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at University of North Georgia stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of North Georgia.

Apply to University of North Georgia

Explore More

Other Degrees at University of North Georgia

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.