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Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Helena College University of Montana

MT · 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 Helena College University of Montana earn a median salary of $50,359 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MT, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $48,376. The degree typically pays for itself in 10.6 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

$35,079

Typical Career

$50,359

Top Performers

$69,961

Estimated break-even: 10.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$336

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,197. Most students can comfortably afford about a $336 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Montana buys what costs $1.04 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 33.2%
Public Administration 18.4%
Retail Trade 7.4%

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

$48,376

Nominal: $50,359 in Montana (COL 104.1% of national avg) · 3.9% 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).

10.6 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 $24,786 $35,737 $53,235
5 Years After Graduation $35,079 $50,359 $69,961
10 Years After Graduation $47,574 $69,154 $90,301

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 $50,359 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MT, which has a cost-of-living index of 104.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $50,359 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0410) = $48,376 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 Helena College University of Montana experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, median earnings are $35,737, which increase to $50,359 after five years and reach $69,154 after ten years. Adjusting for purchasing power, the median five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $48,375.6, indicating that while graduates may face a slightly higher cost of living in Montana (COL index of 1.041), their earnings still reflect a solid return over time.

The top industries for graduates predominantly include Health Care & Social Assistance, which accounts for over 66% of employment, followed by Public Administration at 18.4%. The estimated break-even point for graduates compared to those with only a high school diploma is approximately 10.6 years, suggesting that while the initial financial return may take time, the long-term benefits of a degree in this field can be significant. Overall, the investment in education at Helena College appears to yield a favorable return, particularly in stable and growing sectors.

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See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Helena College University of Montana 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.