ROI Major

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

WI · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 24.01

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point earn a median salary of $52,080 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in WI, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $54,763. The degree typically pays for itself in 11.1 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

$40,259

Typical Career

$52,080

Top Performers

$67,522

Estimated break-even: 11.1 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$347

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,340. Most students can comfortably afford about a $347 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.3x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Wisconsin buys what costs $0.95 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

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

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Educational Services 19.6%
Health Care & Social Assistance 15.2%
Public Administration 10.5%

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

$54,763

Nominal: $52,080 in Wisconsin (COL 95.1% of national avg) · 5.2% 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).

11.1 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 $29,217 $39,319 $53,372
5 Years After Graduation $40,259 $52,080 $67,522
10 Years After Graduation $49,022 $61,951 $82,327

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 $52,080 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in WI, which has a cost-of-living index of 95.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $52,080 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9510) = $54,763 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 the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point can expect a positive earnings trajectory. Median earnings one year after graduation stand at $39,319, which increases to $52,080 after five years and reaches $61,951 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the median five-year salary adjusts to $54,763.41 nationally, reflecting a competitive position in the job market despite the cost of living index in Wisconsin being slightly lower than the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Educational Services (19.6%), Health Care & Social Assistance (15.2%), and Public Administration (10.5%), indicating a diverse range of career opportunities. The estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 11.1 years, suggesting that while the initial financial return may take time to materialize, the long-term benefits of a degree in this field can be significant. Overall, the investment in education appears to yield a favorable return, particularly in sectors that value critical thinking and communication skills.

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 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 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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