How much debt do Chico State liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $17,500, which ranks 20th lowest of 34 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $186 a month over 10 years.

Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from Chico State worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 64% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 10% or less. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several California programs report higher pay.

Chico State Liberal Arts and General Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do Chico State liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in California?

Most do. 92% (83 of 90) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Chico, CA
About 184 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Chico State liberal arts and general studies graduates earn less than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $27,196 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $17,500 in federal loans, less than at 91% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the California median of $30,619.

First-year earnings$27,19613th percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$55,139103% more than year one

Median federal debt$17,50020th lowest of 34 California programs

Debt-to-earnings64%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.

	Chico State	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$27,196	$30,619	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$55,139	$55,458	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$17,500	$16,468	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	64%	55%	73%
Programs compared		34	395

Five years out, Chico State graduates earn more than the national figure and about the same as 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.

Chico StateOther 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 103% between the first and fifth year.

Chico State grads, year 1$27,196

Chico State grads, year 5$55,139

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 $186 a month, or 8.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (169 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10–19%
Paying down the balance	20–29%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–29%
In default	10% 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, 21 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $15,855.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

92% of graduates (83 of 90) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Chico area are about 1% above the national average, so a $27,196 salary here buys what about $26,874 buys in a typical US city.

About Chico State

In-state tuition and fees	$8,472 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$21,072 / year
Average net price after aid	$14,480 / year
Admission rate	93%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	63%
Undergraduate students	13,631

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 42nd of 51 bachelor's programs at Chico State by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($113,181), Construction Management ($89,075), and Construction Engineering Technology ($88,648).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $27,196 one year after graduating and $55,139 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 Chico State programs, ranked51 programs by pay and debt