ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Concordia University - Saint Paul

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 24.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Concordia University - Saint Paul earn a median salary of $52,989 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $56,311. The degree typically pays for itself in 11 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

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

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$40,944

Typical Career

$52,989

Top Performers

$74,491

Estimated break-even: 11 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$353

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,416. Most students can comfortably afford about a $353 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 20.6%
Educational Services 14.6%
Public Administration 8.7%

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

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$56,311

Nominal: $52,989 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% higher 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).

11 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 $24,401 $32,231 $46,663
5 Years After Graduation $40,944 $52,989 $74,491
10 Years After Graduation $45,751 $65,986 $76,015

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 $52,989 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $52,989 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $56,311 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities from Concordia University - Saint Paul can expect a steady earnings trajectory. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $32,231, which increases to $52,989 after five years and reaches $65,986 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at approximately $56,311.37, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive standard of living in Minnesota, where the cost of living index is slightly lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (20.6%), Educational Services (14.6%), and Public Administration (8.7%), reflecting a strong alignment with sectors that prioritize communication, critical thinking, and social awareness. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 11 years, suggesting a moderate return on investment. Overall, while the financial benefits may take time to materialize, the degree offers pathways into stable and impactful careers.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Concordia University - Saint Paul stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

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.

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