Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Virginia Peninsula Community College
VA · Associate's Degree · CIP 24.01
Executive Summary
Graduates with a Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree from Virginia Peninsula Community College earn a median salary of $42,201 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in VA, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $41,172. The degree typically pays for itself in 16.6 years.
Quick Insights
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
$29,067
Typical Career
$42,201
Top Performers
$54,503
Estimated break-even: 16.6 years.
Debt-to-Income Check
$281
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,517. 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, Manufacturing, Educational Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$41,172
Nominal: $42,201 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).
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 | $19,460 | $27,637 | $40,956 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $29,067 | $42,201 | $54,503 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $40,342 | $56,312 | $70,135 |
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 $42,201 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)
= $42,201 × (1.0 ÷ 1.0250)
= $41,172 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
The program's graduates predominantly enter industries such as Manufacturing (30.8%) and Health Care & Social Assistance (23.3% and 21.0%). This distribution suggests a diverse range of career opportunities, particularly in sectors that are essential to the economy. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 14.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing this degree is favorable, especially considering the potential for growth in earnings over a decade.
Compare with Another School
See how the Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities degree at Virginia Peninsula 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.