U.S. median for this major: $52,601.
College Scorecard field of study; 68 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 60% 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 $19,601. College Scorecard.
Shepherd 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 Shepherd 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 | $7,906 | $34,865 | 2.1 years |
| $30–48k | $7,753 | $34,191 | 2.1 years |
| $48–75k | $10,107 | $44,572 | 2.7 years |
| $75–110k | $14,000 | $61,740 | 3.8 years |
| $110k+ | $15,866 | $69,969 | 4.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (33% 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 ($49,153) minus $32,695 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in WV (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $16,458 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 West Virginia colleges
Every West Virginia 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 | Potomac State College of West Virginia Universitymostly 2-year | $56,132 | $25,000 | $9,197 | 31% |
| 2 | West Virginia University Institute of Technology | $56,132 | $25,000 | $9,337 | 33% |
| 3 | West Virginia University | $56,132 | $25,000 | $15,634 | 65% |
| 4 | Fairmont State University | $50,343 | $30,939 | $9,032 | 44% |
| 5 | West Liberty University | $50,061 | $31,000 | $15,366 | 60% |
| 6 | Shepherd University | $49,153 | $29,500 | $11,363 | 51% |
| 7 | West Virginia State University | $47,026 | $31,125 | $11,139 | 39% |
| 8 | West Virginia University at Parkersburgbachelor's & associate | $43,935 | $18,557 | $1,807 | 9% |
| 9 | Marshall University | $43,714 | $29,248 | $7,502 | 51% |
| 10 | Bluefield State University | $40,711 | $28,655 | $13,684 | 37% |
| 11 | Concord University | $39,566 | $24,326 | $9,966 | 39% |
| 12 | Glenville State Universitybachelor's & associate | $37,281 | $28,799 | $14,006 | 34% |
4 more West Virginia colleges offer Liberal Arts / General Studies but have too few graduates to report earnings.
What families pay at Shepherd University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Shepherd University
- Acceptance rate: 97% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 51% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $49,358
- Full cost breakdown · all 33 majors · overview
Related majors at Shepherd University
- English$38,581
- History—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Area Studies—
Shepherd University Liberal Arts / General Studies questions
How much do Shepherd University Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates earn?
Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates of Shepherd University earn a median $49,153 four years after graduating and $33,587 one year after. The U.S. median for Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates across 467 colleges is $52,601.
How much debt do Shepherd University Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates of Shepherd University is $29,500, about 60% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $27,000.
Is Shepherd University a good school for Liberal Arts / General Studies in West Virginia?
On pay, Liberal Arts / General Studies graduates of Shepherd University earn $49,153 four years out, $1,063 above the median for the same major across 12 West Virginia colleges ($48,090) and $3,448 below the U.S. median ($52,601). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Shepherd University rank for Liberal Arts / General Studies in West Virginia?
Of 12 West Virginia colleges reporting Liberal Arts / General Studies graduate earnings, Shepherd University ranks 6th; among the 9 that mostly award bachelor's degrees it ranks 5th. The highest is Potomac State College of West Virginia University at $56,132.
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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: “Shepherd University Liberal Arts / General Studies: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/shepherd-university/majors/liberal-arts-general-studies (College Scorecard and BLS data).