# Western Kentucky University: Liberal Arts / General Studies (bachelor's)

Bowling Green, KY. IPEDS 157951, CIP 24.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/western-kentucky-university/majors/liberal-arts-general-studies

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $35,746
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $46,583 (U.S. median for this major: $52,601 across 467 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $28,892 (U.S. median $27,000)
- Rank in KY: 3 of 8 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the KY median for this major (8 colleges, $44,126): +$2,457
- Versus the U.S. median: -$6,018

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.28 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $46,583 minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KY (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,087 | $30,332 | 2.3 years |
| 30-48k | $6,871 | $29,408 | 2.3 years |
| 48-75k | $9,765 | $41,794 | 3.2 years |
| 75-110k | $14,049 | $60,130 | 4.6 years |
| 110k+ | $17,653 | $75,555 | 5.8 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Liberal Arts / General Studies at KY colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas More University | $58,853 | $29,358 | $21,835 | 41% |
| Northern Kentucky University | $50,322 | $28,750 | $8,191 | 52% |
| Western Kentucky University | $46,583 | $28,892 | $10,990 | 56% |
| University of Louisville | $44,829 | $27,001 | $17,988 | 61% |
| Morehead State University | $43,422 | $28,902 | $9,793 | 52% |
| Eastern Kentucky University | $43,352 | $31,000 | $11,040 | 50% |
| Murray State University | $41,797 | $28,162 | $9,096 | 61% |
| University of Kentucky | $36,942 | $30,690 | $18,851 | 71% |

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).