Is the liberal arts and general studies program at Modesto Junior College worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 27% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 35%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several California programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Modesto Junior College Liberal Arts and General Studies (Certificate): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Modesto Junior College liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $7,065, which ranks 9th lowest of 20 liberal arts and general studies certificate programs in California. That works out to about $75 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Modesto Junior College liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in California?

Most do. 91% (39 of 43) were working in California one year after graduating.

Certificate in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public college
Modesto, CA
About 95 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Modesto Junior College liberal arts and general studies graduates earn about what liberal arts and general studies graduates earn nationally, $25,984 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $7,065 in federal loans, less than at 77% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying liberal arts and general studies programs in California.

First-year earnings$25,98445th percentile of 65 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$49,12389% more than year one

Median federal debt$7,0659th lowest of 20 California programs

Debt-to-earnings27%California median 28%, national 35%

How it compares

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

	Modesto Junior College	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$25,984	$27,284	$27,154
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$49,123	$45,520	$43,480
Median federal debt at graduation	$7,065	$7,456	$9,375
Debt as share of first-year pay	27%	28%	35%
Programs compared		20	65

Five years out, Modesto Junior College graduates earn more than the national figure and about $3,604 more than the California median.

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

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

Modesto Junior CollegeOther California 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 89% between the first and fifth year.

Modesto Junior College grads, year 1$25,984

Modesto Junior College grads, year 5$49,123

All California liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$45,520

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 $75 a month, or 3.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

91% of graduates (39 of 43) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Modesto area are about 4% above the national average, so a $25,984 salary here buys what about $24,959 buys in a typical US city.

About Modesto Junior College

In-state tuition and fees	$1,282 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$9,264 / year
Average net price after aid	$2,818 / year
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	30%
Undergraduate students	15,109

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 2nd of 3 certificate programs at Modesto Junior College by first-year earnings. The others are Fire Science ($50,364) and Human Development and Family Studies ($15,819).

Other liberal arts and general studies certificate programs near Modesto

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Modesto Junior CollegeModesto, CA · public		$25,984	$7,065
Merced CollegeMerced, CA · public	36 mi	$27,413	$9,300
Los Medanos CollegePittsburg, CA · public	53 mi	$29,879	$9,500
Gavilan CollegeGilroy, CA · public	56 mi	$28,543	$5,939

Common questions

The median graduate earns $25,984 one year after graduating and $49,123 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies certificate programs in California is $27,284.

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 California 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 certificate programs in California, ranked20 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies certificate programs in the US, ranked65 programs by pay and debt All Modesto Junior College programs, ranked11 programs by pay and debt