Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities graduates earn a median $53,072 four years after finishing — $4,712/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 14.4 years. Federal data pools 921 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 36,936 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | $147,998 |
| 2 | Yale University | CT | $113,788 |
| 3 | Georgetown University | DC | $112,722 |
| 4 | Bentley University | MA | $105,183 |
| 5 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $99,679 |
| 6 | University of Chicago | IL | $96,510 |
| 7 | Northwestern University | IL | $93,180 |
| 8 | Champlain College | VT | $91,533 |
| 9 | Emory University | GA | $90,025 |
| 10 | DePaul University | IL | $86,444 |
| 11 | Drexel University | PA | $84,166 |
| 12 | University of Hartford | CT | $80,775 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.