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

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 25% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 38%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 20% or less. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Massachusetts programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

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

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

The median federal loan balance is $7,928, which ranks 2nd lowest of 14 liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in Massachusetts. That works out to about $84 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Middlesex Community College liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Massachusetts?

Most do. 91% (121 of 133) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating.

Associate's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public college
Bedford, MA
About 235 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Middlesex Community College liberal arts and general studies graduates earn more than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $31,451 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $7,928 in federal loans, less than at 81% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying liberal arts and general studies degrees in Massachusetts.

First-year earnings$31,45182nd percentile of 728 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$45,80446% more than year one

Median federal debt$7,9282nd lowest of 14 Massachusetts programs

Debt-to-earnings25%Massachusetts median 30%, national 38%

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 associate's programs that report the figure.

	Middlesex Community College	Massachusetts	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$31,451	$31,329	$27,139
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$45,804	$42,465	$40,284
Median federal debt at graduation	$7,928	$9,375	$10,864
Debt as share of first-year pay	25%	30%	38%
Programs compared		14	728

Five years out, Middlesex Community College graduates earn more than the national figure and about $3,339 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.

Middlesex Community CollegeOther 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 46% between the first and fifth year.

Middlesex Community College grads, year 1$31,451

Middlesex Community College grads, year 5$45,804

All Massachusetts liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$42,465

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 $1,952 less in their first year than other graduates. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$31,164Median debt $7,216

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$33,116Median debt $8,750

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $84 a month, or 3.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (80 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. Separately, 30 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $14,073.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

91% of graduates (121 of 133) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating. Prices in the Boston area are about 8% above the national average, so a $31,451 salary here buys what about $29,050 buys in a typical US city.

About Middlesex Community College

In-state tuition and fees	$6,048 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$12,120 / year
Average net price after aid	$2,624 / year
Graduation rate (within 1.5 times the normal program length)	23%
Undergraduate students	5,412

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 7th of 8 associate's programs at Middlesex Community College by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($75,351), Diagnostic and Treatment Professions ($63,037), and Medical Laboratory Science ($55,924).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Middlesex Community CollegeBedford, MA · public		$31,451	$7,928
Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA · private nonprofit	13 mi	$40,995	$20,126
Massachusetts Bay Community CollegeWellesley Hills, MA · public	15 mi	$37,790	$8,750
Bunker Hill Community CollegeBoston, MA · public	15 mi	$38,348	$9,585
North Shore Community CollegeDanvers, MA · public	16 mi	$33,353	$9,000
Northern Essex Community CollegeHaverhill, MA · public	22 mi	$31,549	$9,969
Quinsigamond Community CollegeWorcester, MA · public	30 mi	$33,524	$14,250
Massasoit Community CollegeBrockton, MA · public	34 mi	$28,529	$9,375
Mount Wachusett Community CollegeGardner, MA · public	36 mi	$28,600	$11,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $31,451 one year after graduating and $45,804 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in Massachusetts is $31,329.

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 associate's programs in Massachusetts, ranked14 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies associate's programs in the US, ranked728 programs by pay and debt All Middlesex Community College programs, ranked8 programs by pay and debt