ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Weatherford College

TX · 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 Weatherford College earn a median salary of $48,666 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in TX, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,840. The degree typically pays for itself in 13.2 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

$33,966

Typical Career

$48,666

Top Performers

$67,322

Estimated break-even: 13.2 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$324

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,056. Most students can comfortably afford about a $324 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, Public Administration.

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 37.7%
Educational Services 12.1%
Public Administration 8.7%

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

$52,840

Nominal: $48,666 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).

13.2 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 $21,674 $30,122 $42,657
5 Years After Graduation $33,966 $48,666 $67,322
10 Years After Graduation $43,654 $60,177 $80,986

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 $48,666 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)
= $48,666 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9210) = $52,840 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 Weatherford College experience a progressive earnings trajectory, with median earnings of $30,122 one year after graduation, increasing to $48,666 after five years and reaching $60,177 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $52,840.39, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to national standards, despite the lower cost of living in Texas.

The primary industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 37.7% of employment, followed closely by another segment in the same field at 37.4%, and Public Administration at 20.7%. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 13.2 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree can be considered reasonable, particularly for those entering stable and growing sectors like health care and public administration.

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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.