Federal data
Highest earning associate's liberal arts programs in the United States
U.S. liberal arts programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maria College of Albany | Albany | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $60,857 | 35 |
| 2 | Columbia Southern University | Orange Beach | For-profit, 4-year | $55,667 | 32 |
| 3 | American Public University System | Charles Town | For-profit, 4-year | $52,108 | 282 |
| 4 | Marion Technical College | Marion | Public, 4-year | $51,927 | 31 |
| 5 | Thomas Edison State University | Trenton | Public, 4-year | $50,524 | 32 |
| 6 | Excelsior University | Albany | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $50,464 | 96 |
| 7 | Columbia College | Columbia | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $47,598 | 220 |
| 8 | Southern New Hampshire University | Manchester | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $43,806 | 328 |
| 9 | Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion | Marion | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $43,511 | 77 |
| 10 | Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global | Marion | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $43,511 | 77 |
| 11 | Saint Leo University | Saint Leo | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $41,989 | 126 |
| 12 | Inver Hills Community College | Inver Grove Heights | Public, 2-year | $41,906 | 139 |
| 13 | Baltimore City Community College | Baltimore | Public, 2-year | $41,120 | 60 |
| 14 | University of Maryland Global Campus | Adelphi | Public, 4-year | $41,071 | 120 |
| 15 | Harvard University | Cambridge | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $40,995 | 32 |
| 16 | Boise State University | Boise | Public, 4-year | $40,886 | 57 |
| 17 | Pennsylvania State University | Erie | Public, 4-year | $40,658 | 79 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.