Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from Providence Christian College worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 77% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other California programs before deciding.

Providence Christian College Liberal Arts and General Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Providence Christian College liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $25,000, which ranks 27th lowest of 34 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $265 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Providence Christian College liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in California?

Most do. 70% (31 of 44) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Private nonprofit college
Pasadena, CA
About 25 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Providence Christian College liberal arts and general studies graduates earn about what liberal arts and general studies graduates earn nationally, $32,598 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $25,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $27,000. Several California programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$32,59829th percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$37,02514% more than year one

Median federal debt$25,00027th lowest of 34 California programs

Debt-to-earnings77%California median 55%, national 73%

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 bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Providence Christian College	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$32,598	$30,619	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$37,025	$55,458	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$25,000	$16,468	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	77%	55%	73%
Programs compared		34	395

Five years out, Providence Christian College graduates earn less than the national figure and about $18,433 less than the California median. Several California programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

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.

Providence Christian 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 14% between the first and fifth year.

Providence Christian College grads, year 1$32,598

Providence Christian College grads, year 5$37,025

All California liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$55,458

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 $1,788 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$30,429Median debt $24,711

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$32,217Median debt $26,000

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $265 a month, or 9.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

70% of graduates (31 of 44) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the Los Angeles area are about 14% above the national average, so a $32,598 salary here buys what about $28,704 buys in a typical US city.

About Providence Christian College

Tuition and fees	$36,963 / year
Average net price after aid	$25,163 / year
Admission rate	100%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	20%
Undergraduate students	168

Liberal Arts and General Studies is the only bachelor's program at Providence Christian College that reports first-year earnings.

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Providence Christian CollegePasadena, CA · private nonprofit		$32,598	$25,000
Cal State LALos Angeles, CA · public	6 mi	$30,824	$15,171
Azusa Pacific UniversityAzusa, CA · private nonprofit	15 mi	$35,194	$25,000
Los Angeles Pacific UniversityGlendora, CA · private nonprofit	18 mi	$37,985	$33,893
Cal Poly PomonaPomona, CA · public	19 mi	$25,168	$13,750
Cal State Dominguez HillsCarson, CA · public	21 mi	$33,588	$15,453
University of La VerneLa Verne, CA · private nonprofit	21 mi	$25,945	$23,500
CSUNNorthridge, CA · public	23 mi	$33,324	$15,000
Cal State FullertonFullerton, CA · public	24 mi	$24,706	$13,535

Common questions

The median graduate earns $32,598 one year after graduating and $37,025 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in California is $30,619.

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 bachelor's programs in California, ranked34 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt