Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from Eastern New Mexico University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 52% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 20% or less.

Eastern New Mexico University Liberal Arts and General Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Eastern New Mexico University liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $22,301, which ranks the lowest of 5 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in New Mexico. That works out to about $236 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Eastern New Mexico University liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in New Mexico?

Most do. 60% (67 of 111) were working in New Mexico one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Portales, NM
About 137 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Eastern New Mexico University liberal arts and general studies graduates earn more than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $43,186 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $22,301 in federal loans, less than at 79% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying liberal arts and general studies degrees in New Mexico.

First-year earnings$43,18680th percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$49,91916% more than year one

Median federal debt$22,301The lowest of 5 New Mexico programs

Debt-to-earnings52%New Mexico median 78%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	Eastern New Mexico University	New Mexico	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$43,186	$31,428	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$49,919	$46,456	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,301	$24,656	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	52%	78%	73%
Programs compared		5	395

Five years out, Eastern New Mexico University graduates earn about the national figure and about $3,463 more than the New Mexico median.

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

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

Eastern New Mexico UniversityOther New Mexico 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 16% between the first and fifth year.

Eastern New Mexico University grads, year 1$43,186

Eastern New Mexico University grads, year 5$49,919

All New Mexico liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$46,456

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 $236 a month, or 6.6% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (114 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–39%
In default	20% 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.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

60% of graduates (67 of 111) were working in New Mexico one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of New Mexico outside metro areas are about 14% below the national average, so a $43,186 salary here buys what about $50,276 buys in a typical US city.

About Eastern New Mexico University

In-state tuition and fees	$7,194 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$9,174 / year
Average net price after aid	$4,904 / year
Admission rate	92%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	45%
Undergraduate students	3,357

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 4th of 13 bachelor's programs at Eastern New Mexico University by first-year earnings. The top three are Aviation ($88,085), Nursing ($83,465), and Accounting ($52,579).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $43,186 one year after graduating and $49,919 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in New Mexico is $31,428.

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 New Mexico 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 New Mexico, ranked5 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt All Eastern New Mexico University programs, ranked14 programs by pay and debt