Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from Cerritos College worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 54% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 38%. Compare the cost with other California programs before deciding.

Cerritos College Liberal Arts and General Studies (Associate's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Cerritos College liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $9,750, which ranks 19th lowest of 25 liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in California. That works out to about $103 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Cerritos College liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in California?

Most do. 105% (20 of 19) were working in California one year after graduating.

Associate's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public college
Norwalk, CA
About 667 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Cerritos College liberal arts and general studies graduates earn less than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $18,208 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $9,750 in federal loans, close to the national median of $10,864. Several California programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$18,2084th percentile of 728 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$38,638112% more than year one

Median federal debt$9,75019th lowest of 25 California programs

Debt-to-earnings54%California median 29%, national 38%

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 associate's programs that report the figure.

	Cerritos College	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$18,208	$27,524	$27,139
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$38,638	$41,799	$40,284
Median federal debt at graduation	$9,750	$8,750	$10,864
Debt as share of first-year pay	54%	29%	38%
Programs compared		25	728

Five years out, Cerritos College graduates earn less than the national figure and about $3,161 less than the California median. Several California programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

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.

Cerritos CollegeOther 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 112% between the first and fifth year.

Cerritos College grads, year 1$18,208

Cerritos College grads, year 5$38,638

All California liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$41,799

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 $103 a month, or 6.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

105% of graduates (20 of 19) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $18,208 salary here buys what about $16,033 buys in a typical US city.

About Cerritos College

In-state tuition and fees	$1,364 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$12,004 / year
Average net price after aid	$2,424 / year
Undergraduate students	18,870

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 2nd of 2 associate's programs at Cerritos College by first-year earnings. The other is Biological and Physical Sciences ($25,221).

Other liberal arts and general studies associate's programs near Norwalk

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Cerritos CollegeNorwalk, CA · public		$18,208	$9,750
East Los Angeles CollegeMonterey Park, CA · public	11 mi	$29,831	$6,685
Los Angeles Southwest CollegeLos Angeles, CA · public	12 mi	$32,770	$13,870
Santa Ana CollegeSanta Ana, CA · public	15 mi	$30,117	$6,800
Orange Coast CollegeCosta Mesa, CA · public	19 mi	$24,128	$6,955
Santiago Canyon CollegeOrange, CA · public	20 mi	$37,149	$5,500
Saddleback CollegeMission Viejo, CA · public	34 mi	$16,740	$5,914
Riverside City CollegeRiverside, CA · public	41 mi	$27,524	$9,317
College of the CanyonsSanta Clarita, CA · public	45 mi	$29,397	$7,750

Common questions

The median graduate earns $18,208 one year after graduating and $38,638 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in California is $27,524.

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 associate's programs in California, ranked25 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies associate's programs in the US, ranked728 programs by pay and debt All Cerritos College programs, ranked5 programs by pay and debt