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

The median federal loan balance is $20,500, which ranks 15th lowest of 19 liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in Ohio. That works out to about $217 a month over 10 years.

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

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 59% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 38%. Compare the cost with other Ohio programs before deciding.

Do Kent State liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Ohio?

Most do. 88% (782 of 892) were working in Ohio one year after graduating.

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

Associate's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Kent, OH

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Kent State liberal arts and general studies graduates earn more than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $34,969 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $20,500 in federal loans, more than at 94% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Several Ohio programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$34,96991st percentile of 728 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$43,61025% more than year one

Median federal debt$20,50015th lowest of 19 Ohio programs

Debt-to-earnings59%Ohio median 46%, national 38%

How it compares

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

	Kent State	Ohio	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$34,969	$31,870	$27,139
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$43,610	$40,189	$40,284
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,500	$14,100	$10,864
Debt as share of first-year pay	59%	46%	38%
Programs compared		19	728

Five years out, Kent State graduates earn more than the national figure and about $3,421 more than the Ohio median.

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

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

Kent StateOther Ohio 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 25% between the first and fifth year.

Kent State grads, year 1$34,969

Kent State grads, year 5$43,610

All Ohio liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$40,189

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

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned about the same in their first year as other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $23,265 against $17,993.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$34,835Median debt $23,265

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$35,581Median debt $17,993

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $217 a month, or 7.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (476 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	5–9%
Paying down the balance	15–19%
Paused payments (forbearance)	30–34%
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, 558 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $19,902.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

88% of graduates (782 of 892) were working in Ohio one year after graduating. Prices in the Akron area are about 7% below the national average, so a $34,969 salary here buys what about $37,452 buys in a typical US city.

About Kent State

In-state tuition and fees	$13,232 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$23,082 / year
Average net price after aid	$20,787 / year
Admission rate	86%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	64%
Undergraduate students	19,320

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 6th of 8 associate's programs at Kent State by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($64,169), Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($46,778), and Allied Health and Medical Assisting ($40,671).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Kent StateKent, OH · public		$34,969	$20,500
University of AkronAkron, OH · public	10 mi	$31,901	$23,112
Stark State CollegeNorth Canton, OH · public	20 mi	$34,458	$14,200
Cuyahoga Community College DistrictCleveland, OH · public	30 mi	$28,760	$11,000
Lakeland Community CollegeKirtland, OH · public	34 mi	$31,743	$13,000
Lorain County Community CollegeElyria, OH · public	42 mi	$26,257	$12,060

Common questions

The median graduate earns $34,969 one year after graduating and $43,610 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in Ohio is $31,870.

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 Ohio 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 Ohio, ranked19 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies associate's programs in the US, ranked728 programs by pay and debt All Kent State programs, ranked66 programs by pay and debt