Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from LSU Shreveport worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 99% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other Louisiana programs before deciding.

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

Q: How much debt do LSU Shreveport liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $34,500, which ranks 8th lowest of 9 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Louisiana. That works out to about $366 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do LSU Shreveport liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Louisiana?

Most do. 77% (46 of 60) were working in Louisiana one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Shreveport, LA
About 52 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

LSU Shreveport liberal arts and general studies graduates earn about what liberal arts and general studies graduates earn nationally, $34,855 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $34,500 in federal loans, more than at 91% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Two other Louisiana programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$34,85541st percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$39,82214% more than year one

Median federal debt$34,5008th lowest of 9 Louisiana programs

Debt-to-earnings99%Louisiana median 80%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	LSU Shreveport	Louisiana	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$34,855	$32,688	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$39,822	$43,954	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$34,500	$27,000	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	99%	80%	73%
Programs compared		9	395

Five years out, LSU Shreveport graduates earn less than the national figure and about $4,132 less than the Louisiana median.

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

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

LSU ShreveportOther Louisiana 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 14% between the first and fifth year.

LSU Shreveport grads, year 1$34,855

LSU Shreveport grads, year 5$39,822

All Louisiana liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$43,954

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 $366 a month, or 12.6% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (61 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

77% of graduates (46 of 60) were working in Louisiana one year after graduating. Prices in the Shreveport area are about 15% below the national average, so a $34,855 salary here buys what about $41,119 buys in a typical US city.

About LSU Shreveport

Tuition and fees	$7,518 / year
Average net price after aid	$7,022 / year
Admission rate	51%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	38%
Undergraduate students	2,153

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 6th of 9 bachelor's programs at LSU Shreveport by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($60,259), Teacher Education ($48,717), and Business Administration ($43,321).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
LSU ShreveportShreveport, LA · public		$34,855	$34,500
Northwestern State University of LouisianaNatchitoches, LA · public	59 mi	$32,688	$31,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $34,855 one year after graduating and $39,822 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Louisiana is $32,688.

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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana, ranked9 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt All LSU Shreveport programs, ranked9 programs by pay and debt