Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from Azusa Pacific University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 71% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 5% or less. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several California programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Azusa Pacific University Liberal Arts and General Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Azusa Pacific University liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $25,000, which ranks 27th lowest of 34 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $265 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Azusa Pacific University liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in California?

Most do. 84% (26 of 31) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Private nonprofit university
Azusa, CA
About 59 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Azusa Pacific University liberal arts and general studies graduates earn about what liberal arts and general studies graduates earn nationally, $35,194 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $25,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $27,000. It is one of the higher-paying liberal arts and general studies degrees in California.

First-year earnings$35,19443rd percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$59,33569% more than year one

Median federal debt$25,00027th lowest of 34 California programs

Debt-to-earnings71%California median 55%, national 73%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The California and national columns are the medians across all liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Azusa Pacific University	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$35,194	$30,619	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$59,335	$55,458	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$25,000	$16,468	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	71%	55%	73%
Programs compared		34	395

Five years out, Azusa Pacific University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $3,878 more than the California median.

Debt and first-year pay at every California liberal arts and general studies program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the California medians.

Azusa Pacific UniversityOther California programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 69% between the first and fifth year.

Azusa Pacific University grads, year 1$35,194

Azusa Pacific University grads, year 5$59,335

All California liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$55,458

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $265 a month, or 9.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (299 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	5–9%
Paying down the balance	15–19%
Paused payments (forbearance)	25–29%
In default	5% or less

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual. Separately, 49 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $23,686.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

84% of graduates (26 of 31) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $35,194 salary here buys what about $30,990 buys in a typical US city.

About Azusa Pacific University

Tuition and fees	$44,458 / year
Average net price after aid	$22,212 / year
Admission rate	88%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	62%
Undergraduate students	2,759

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 4th of 9 bachelor's programs at Azusa Pacific University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($105,521), Business Administration ($47,681), and Criminal Justice ($40,091).

Other liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs near Azusa

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa, CA · private nonprofit		$35,194	$25,000
Los Angeles Pacific UniversityGlendora, CA · private nonprofit	4 mi	$37,985	$33,893
Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	6 mi	$25,168	$13,750
University of La VerneLa Verne, CA · private nonprofit	7 mi	$25,945	$23,500
Providence Christian CollegePasadena, CA · private nonprofit	15 mi	$32,598	$25,000
Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	17 mi	$30,824	$15,171
Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	17 mi	$24,706	$13,535
Cal State Long BeachLong Beach, CA · public	27 mi	$31,802	$15,500
Cal State Dominguez HillsCarson, CA · public	28 mi	$33,588	$15,453

Common questions

The median graduate earns $35,194 one year after graduating and $59,335 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in California is $30,619.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of California comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the liberal arts and general studies program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in California, ranked34 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt All Azusa Pacific University programs, ranked9 programs by pay and debt