ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at J Sargeant Reynolds Community College

VA · 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 J Sargeant Reynolds Community College earn a median salary of $42,181 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $41,152. The degree typically pays for itself in 26.6 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

$29,139

Typical Career

$42,181

Top Performers

$53,497

Estimated break-even: 26.6 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$281

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,515. Most students can comfortably afford about a $281 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.1x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Virginia buys what costs $1.03 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 33.2%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.4%
Retail Trade 7.8%

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

$41,152

Nominal: $42,181 in Virginia (COL 102.5% of national avg) · 2.4% 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).

26.6 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 $20,743 $28,845 $42,596
5 Years After Graduation $29,139 $42,181 $53,497
10 Years After Graduation $32,932 $47,210 $61,827

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 $42,181 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in VA, which has a cost-of-living index of 102.5% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $42,181 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250) = $41,152 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities program at J Sargeant Reynolds Community College can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $29,471, which rises to $43,406 after five years and reaches $56,877 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns closely with the national equivalent at approximately $42,347.32, indicating that graduates can maintain a competitive income relative to national standards despite Virginia's slightly higher cost of living index.

The primary industries that graduates enter are predominantly in Health Care & Social Assistance, with percentages of 42.9%, 36.5%, and 33.2% across various roles. This concentration suggests a strong alignment between the program and the needs of the health care sector. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 15.7 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree appears favorable, particularly for those entering growing fields that offer stability and potential for advancement.

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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.