ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Eastern Gateway Community College

OH · Associate'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 Eastern Gateway Community College earn a median salary of $36,151 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in OH, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $40,123. The degree typically pays for itself in 36.7 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 graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$25,221

Typical Career

$36,151

Top Performers

$53,264

Estimated break-even: 36.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$241

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,013. Most students can comfortably afford about a $241 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 0.9x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Ohio buys what costs $0.90 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 36.2%
Retail Trade 13.0%
Educational Services 6.9%

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

$40,123

Nominal: $36,151 in Ohio (COL 90.1% of national avg) · 11% 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).

36.7 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 $25,103 $39,710 $60,590
5 Years After Graduation $25,221 $36,151 $53,264
10 Years After Graduation $32,357 $44,340 $66,891

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 $36,151 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in OH, which has a cost-of-living index of 90.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $36,151 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9010) = $40,123 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program at Eastern Gateway Community College experience a varied earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings stand at $39,710, which increases to $44,340 after ten years. However, the median earnings five years post-graduation dip to $36,151, indicating a potential fluctuation in income levels. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at $40,123.2, suggesting that graduates may face challenges in maintaining consistent income growth in the early stages of their careers.

The primary industries for graduates are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for 63.8% of employment, followed by Retail Trade at 13.0%. This concentration in health-related fields may provide stable job opportunities, reflecting the demand for skills in these sectors. However, the estimated break-even point of approximately 36.7 years compared to a high-school-only path raises questions about the overall return on investment for this degree. Students should weigh these factors carefully when considering their career trajectories in relation to their educational choices.

Compare with Another School

See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Eastern Gateway 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.