Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from Saint Leo University worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 75% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other Florida programs before deciding.

Saint Leo University Liberal Arts and General Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Saint Leo University liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $30,624, which ranks 7th lowest of 11 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Florida. That works out to about $325 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Saint Leo University liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Florida?

Most do. 53% (19 of 36) were working in Florida one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Private nonprofit university
Saint Leo, FL
About 14 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Saint Leo University liberal arts and general studies graduates earn about what liberal arts and general studies graduates earn nationally, $40,874 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $30,624 in federal loans, more than at 76% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Several Florida programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$40,87471st percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$54,87034% more than year one

Median federal debt$30,6247th lowest of 11 Florida programs

Debt-to-earnings75%Florida median 74%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	Saint Leo University	Florida	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$40,874	$35,361	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$54,870	$47,864	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$30,624	$25,571	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	75%	74%	73%
Programs compared		11	395

Five years out, Saint Leo University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $7,006 more than the Florida median.

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

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

Saint Leo UniversityOther Florida 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 34% between the first and fifth year.

Saint Leo University grads, year 1$40,874

Saint Leo University grads, year 5$54,870

All Florida liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$47,864

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 $325 a month, or 9.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

53% of graduates (19 of 36) were working in Florida one year after graduating. Prices in the Tampa area are about 1% above the national average, so a $40,874 salary here buys what about $40,513 buys in a typical US city.

About Saint Leo University

Tuition and fees	$30,000 / year
Average net price after aid	$21,293 / year
Admission rate	78%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	45%
Undergraduate students	6,721

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 10th of 18 bachelor's programs at Saint Leo University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($72,237), Computer and Information Science ($59,364), and Business Administration ($54,167).

Other liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs near Saint Leo

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Saint Leo UniversitySaint Leo, FL · private nonprofit		$40,874	$30,624
USFTampa, FL · public	21 mi	$45,230	$30,676

Common questions

The median graduate earns $40,874 one year after graduating and $54,870 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Florida is $35,361.

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 Florida 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 Florida, ranked11 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt All Saint Leo University programs, ranked21 programs by pay and debt