ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Charter Oak State College

CT · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 24.01

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Charter Oak State College earn a median salary of $76,084 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $65,988. The degree typically pays for itself in 4.8 years.

Quick Insights

Solid Investment

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$51,804

Typical Career

$76,084

Top Performers

$114,528

Estimated break-even: 4.8 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$507

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $6,340. Most students can comfortably afford about a $507 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 2.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 1.0x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Connecticut buys what costs $1.15 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Finance & Insurance.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 24.4%
Educational Services 19.1%
Finance & Insurance 10.4%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$65,988

Nominal: $76,084 in Connecticut (COL 115.3% of national avg) · 13.3% lower purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

4.8 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $43,218 $66,058 $102,844
5 Years After Graduation $51,804 $76,084 $114,528
10 Years After Graduation $57,344 $86,396 $128,242

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $76,084 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CT, which has a cost-of-living index of 115.3% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $76,084 × (1.0 ÷ 1.1530) = $65,988 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Compare with Another School

See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Charter Oak State College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Ready to apply?

Start your application for Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Charter Oak State College.

Apply to Charter Oak State College

Explore More

Other Degrees at Charter Oak State College

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.