ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of Texas at Tyler

TX · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 24.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from University of Texas at Tyler earn a median salary of $48,878 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $53,071. The degree typically pays for itself in 12.6 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 bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$39,793

Typical Career

$48,878

Top Performers

$56,473

Estimated break-even: 12.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$326

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,073. Most students can comfortably afford about a $326 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Texas buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 30.0%
Educational Services 24.9%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 7.8%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$53,071

Nominal: $48,878 in Texas (COL 92.1% of national avg) · 8.6% 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).

12.6 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 $35,184 $51,223 $75,158
5 Years After Graduation $39,793 $48,878 $56,473
10 Years After Graduation $40,883 $52,839 $61,332

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 $48,878 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in TX, which has a cost-of-living index of 92.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $48,878 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $53,071 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 Texas at Tyler experience a varied earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, median earnings stand at $51,223, which slightly declines to $48,878 five years later before increasing to $52,839 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $53,070.58, indicating that while initial earnings may dip, long-term financial stability appears achievable.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (30.0%), Educational Services (24.9%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (7.8%). The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 12.6 years, suggesting that while the return on investment (ROI) may take time to materialize, the degree can lead to diverse career opportunities in stable sectors. Overall, pursuing this degree can be a viable option for those interested in these fields, despite the initial earnings fluctuations.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

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

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.

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