U.S. median for this major: $52,601.
College Scorecard field of study; 109 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 52% 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 $24,018. College Scorecard.
ISU 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 ISU'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 | $10,582 | $45,714 | 2.5 years |
| $30–48k | $11,506 | $49,706 | 2.7 years |
| $48–75k | $15,463 | $66,800 | 3.7 years |
| $75–110k | $19,605 | $84,694 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $22,496 | $97,183 | 5.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (54% 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 ($54,889) minus $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,228 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 Iowa colleges
Every Iowa college we cover that reports Liberal Arts / General Studies graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buena Vista University | $63,832 | — | $18,846 | 62% |
| 2 | University of Iowa | $61,200 | $25,269 | $22,531 | 75% |
| 3 | Grinnell College | $59,638 | — | $17,648 | 88% |
| 4 | Iowa State University | $54,889 | $28,623 | $18,589 | 75% |
| 5 | Luther College | $54,821 | $27,000 | $23,097 | 71% |
| 6 | University of Northern Iowa | $51,712 | $26,400 | $15,901 | 68% |
| 7 | Grand View University | $49,263 | $25,973 | $21,774 | 54% |
| 8 | Simpson College | $46,237 | $27,000 | $21,936 | 63% |
14 more Iowa colleges offer Liberal Arts / General Studies but have too few graduates to report earnings.
What families pay at ISU, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About ISU
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 75% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $63,386
- Full cost breakdown · all 93 majors · overview
Related majors at ISU
- English$49,626
- History$52,934
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$61,697
- Philosophy—
- Area Studies$61,860
- Linguistics$40,726
ISU Liberal Arts / General Studies questions
How much do ISU Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates earn?
Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates of Iowa State University earn a median $54,889 four years after graduating and $36,532 one year after. The U.S. median for Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates across 467 colleges is $52,601.
How much debt do ISU Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates of Iowa State University is $28,623, about 52% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is ISU a good school for Liberal Arts / General Studies in Iowa?
On pay, Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates of Iowa State University earn $54,889 four years out, $34 above the median for the same major across 8 Iowa colleges ($54,855) and $2,288 above the U.S. median ($52,601). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does ISU rank for Liberal Arts / General Studies in Iowa?
Of 8 Iowa colleges reporting Liberal Arts / General Studies graduate earnings, Iowa State University ranks 4th. The highest is Buena Vista University at $63,832.
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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: “Iowa State University Liberal Arts / General Studies: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/iowa-state-university/majors/liberal-arts-general-studies (College Scorecard and BLS data).