U.S. median for this major: $52,601.
College Scorecard field of study; 20 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 41% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $27,000.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $83,654. College Scorecard.
Carnegie Mellon University Liberal Arts / General Studies: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Liberal Arts / General Studies nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Carnegie Mellon University's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $9,097 | $37,844 | 1.4 years |
| $30–48k | $6,994 | $29,095 | 1.1 years |
| $48–75k | $14,468 | $60,187 | 2.3 years |
| $75–110k | $24,865 | $103,438 | 3.9 years |
| $110k+ | $51,480 | $214,157 | 8.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (79% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates 4 years after graduating ($62,027) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $26,230 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Liberal Arts / General Studies at Pennsylvania colleges
Every Pennsylvania college we cover that reports Liberal Arts / General Studies graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants. Colleges marked "mostly 2-year" or "bachelor's & associate" award more associate degrees than bachelor's; their bachelor's programs often serve working adults finishing a degree (for example, nurses completing a BSN), so their graduates' earnings can run higher than those of students starting college at 18.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drexel University | $84,166 | $27,154 | $38,509 | 78% |
| 2 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | $72,048 | $43,575 | $29,689 | 79% |
| 3 | Moravian University | $63,342 | — | $30,670 | 72% |
| 4 | Carnegie Mellon University | $62,027 | $25,515 | $31,944 | 94% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College | $58,195 | $27,750 | $24,558 | 44% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenangobachelor's & associate | $58,195 | $27,750 | $18,095 | 42% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Scranton | $58,195 | $27,750 | $17,910 | 39% |
| 8 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona | $58,195 | $27,750 | $22,213 | 17% |
| 9 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg | $58,195 | $27,750 | $23,330 | 26% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine | $58,195 | $27,750 | $22,585 | 26% |
| 11 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State DuBoisbachelor's & associate | $58,195 | $27,750 | $17,428 | 34% |
| 12 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Hazleton | $58,195 | $27,750 | $17,597 | 26% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University | $58,195 | $27,750 | $32,875 | 86% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto | $58,195 | $27,750 | $19,454 | 34% |
| 15 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | $58,195 | $27,750 | $18,071 | 20% |
| 16 | Neumann University | $57,721 | $31,000 | $27,804 | 54% |
| 17 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania | $54,958 | $31,000 | $16,804 | 56% |
| 18 | Villanova University | $53,181 | $25,000 | $43,756 | 92% |
| 19 | Albright College | $52,894 | — | $20,024 | 51% |
| 20 | Temple University | $50,536 | $34,372 | $28,198 | 75% |
| 21 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | $46,030 | — | $15,699 | 54% |
| 22 | Pennsylvania Western University | $44,180 | $33,280 | $18,256 | 52% |
| 23 | Bryn Mawr College | $43,321 | $23,069 | $31,759 | 82% |
55 more Pennsylvania colleges offer Liberal Arts / General Studies but have too few graduates to report earnings.
What families pay at Carnegie Mellon University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Carnegie Mellon University
- Acceptance rate: 12% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 94% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $114,862
- Full cost breakdown · all 91 majors · overview
Related majors at Carnegie Mellon University
- English—
- History—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Philosophy—
- Area Studies—
- Linguistics—
Carnegie Mellon University Liberal Arts / General Studies questions
How much do Carnegie Mellon University Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates earn?
Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn a median $62,027 four years after graduating. The U.S. median for Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates across 467 colleges is $52,601.
How much debt do Carnegie Mellon University Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates of Carnegie Mellon University is $25,515, about 41% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is Carnegie Mellon University a good school for Liberal Arts / General Studies in Pennsylvania?
On pay, Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates of Carnegie Mellon University earn $62,027 four years out, $3,832 above the median for the same major across 24 Pennsylvania colleges ($58,195) and $9,426 above the U.S. median ($52,601). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Carnegie Mellon University rank for Liberal Arts / General Studies in Pennsylvania?
Of 23 Pennsylvania colleges reporting Liberal Arts / General Studies graduate earnings, Carnegie Mellon University ranks 4th. The highest is Drexel University at $84,166.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Carnegie Mellon University Liberal Arts / General Studies: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/carnegie-mellon-university/majors/liberal-arts-general-studies (College Scorecard and BLS data).