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

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 74% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other Massachusetts programs before deciding.

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

Q: How much debt do Framingham State liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $23,250, which ranks 3rd lowest of 12 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Massachusetts. That works out to about $246 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Framingham State liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Massachusetts?

Most do. 94% (32 of 34) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Framingham, MA
About 31 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Framingham State liberal arts and general studies graduates earn less than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $31,613 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $23,250 in federal loans, less than at 76% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the Massachusetts median of $39,141.

First-year earnings$31,61325th percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$53,72770% more than year one

Median federal debt$23,2503rd lowest of 12 Massachusetts programs

Debt-to-earnings74%Massachusetts median 71%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	Framingham State	Massachusetts	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$31,613	$39,141	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$53,727	$49,010	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$23,250	$26,500	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	74%	71%	73%
Programs compared		12	395

Five years out, Framingham State graduates earn more than the national figure and about $4,717 more than the Massachusetts median.

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

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

Framingham StateOther Massachusetts 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 70% between the first and fifth year.

Framingham State grads, year 1$31,613

Framingham State grads, year 5$53,727

All Massachusetts liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$49,010

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 $246 a month, or 9.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (62 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20% or less
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

94% of graduates (32 of 34) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating. Prices in the Boston area are about 8% above the national average, so a $31,613 salary here buys what about $29,199 buys in a typical US city.

About Framingham State

In-state tuition and fees	$11,920 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$18,000 / year
Average net price after aid	$16,114 / year
Admission rate	84%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	48%
Undergraduate students	2,566

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 18th of 20 bachelor's programs at Framingham State by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($95,426), Computer and Information Science ($63,538), and Management Information Systems ($54,918).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Framingham StateFramingham, MA · public		$31,613	$23,250
Regis CollegeWeston, MA · private nonprofit	7 mi	$52,559	$27,000
Bentley UniversityWaltham, MA · private nonprofit	13 mi	$72,333	$26,000
Lesley UniversityCambridge, MA · private nonprofit	17 mi	$35,658	$30,057
MITCambridge, MA · private nonprofit	18 mi	$103,135	$11,935
Worcester StateWorcester, MA · public	21 mi	$43,996	$23,907
UMass LowellLowell, MA · public	25 mi	$37,140	$27,000
Endicott CollegeBeverly, MA · private nonprofit	35 mi	$45,277	$15,456
UConnStorrs, CT · public	54 mi	$44,240	$22,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $31,613 one year after graduating and $53,727 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Massachusetts is $39,141.

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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, ranked12 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt All Framingham State programs, ranked20 programs by pay and debt