Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Colorado Northwestern Community College
CO · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Colorado Northwestern Community College earn a median salary of $44,585 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in CO, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $42,422. The degree typically pays for itself in 16.5 years.
Quick Insights
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
$30,509
Typical Career
$44,585
Top Performers
$63,970
Estimated break-even: 16.5 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$297
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,715. Most students can comfortably afford about a $297 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.
Purchasing Power Context
A dollar in Colorado buys what costs $1.05 nationally.
Industry Breadcrumbs
Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Public Administration.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$42,422
Nominal: $44,585 in Colorado (COL 105.1% of national avg) · 4.9% 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).
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 | $20,150 | $28,575 | $43,547 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $30,509 | $44,585 | $63,970 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $39,676 | $55,060 | $76,285 |
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 $44,585 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in CO, which has a cost-of-living index of 105.1% of the national average.
Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $44,585 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0510)
= $42,422 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The primary industries that graduates enter are Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 42.8% of employment, followed by Retail Trade at 14.8%. This concentration in health-related fields suggests a stable demand for graduates in sectors that are essential and growing. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 16.5 years, indicating that while the long-term return on investment can be favorable, it may take considerable time to realize the financial benefits of this educational path.
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See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Colorado Northwestern Community College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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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.