ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of Toledo

OH · 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 Toledo earn a median salary of $55,531 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $61,633. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.1 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

$41,283

Typical Career

$55,531

Top Performers

$75,294

Estimated break-even: 9.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$370

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,628. Most students can comfortably afford about a $370 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 21.6%
Educational Services 13.6%
Manufacturing 13.3%

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

$61,633

Nominal: $55,531 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

9.1 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 $32,412 $46,663 $69,033
5 Years After Graduation $41,283 $55,531 $75,294
10 Years After Graduation $44,398 $66,779 $90,933

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 $55,531 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $55,531 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $61,633 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities from the University of Toledo experience a steady earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $46,663.00, increasing to $55,531.00 after five years and reaching $66,779.00 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $61,632.63, indicating a relatively favorable financial position compared to peers across the country, especially considering Ohio's cost of living index of 0.901.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (21.6%), Educational Services (13.6%), and Manufacturing (13.3%), highlighting diverse career opportunities. The estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high school diploma is approximately 9.1 years, suggesting that while the initial financial return may be moderate, the long-term benefits of a degree in this field can lead to improved earning potential and job satisfaction over time. Overall, the investment in education appears to yield a reasonable return in the context of Ohio's economic landscape.

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 Toledo 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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