Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from South Plains College worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 69% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 38%. Compare the cost with other Texas programs before deciding.

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

Q: How much debt do South Plains College liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $13,446, which ranks 40th lowest of 46 liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in Texas. That works out to about $143 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do South Plains College liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Texas?

Most do. 88% (36 of 41) were working in Texas one year after graduating.

Associate's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public college
Levelland, TX
About 386 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

South Plains College liberal arts and general studies graduates earn less than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $19,469 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $13,446 in federal loans, more than at 77% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Several Texas programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$19,4697th percentile of 728 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$39,381102% more than year one

Median federal debt$13,44640th lowest of 46 Texas programs

Debt-to-earnings69%Texas median 38%, national 38%

How it compares

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

	South Plains College	Texas	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$19,469	$27,180	$27,139
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$39,381	$41,720	$40,284
Median federal debt at graduation	$13,446	$10,136	$10,864
Debt as share of first-year pay	69%	38%	38%
Programs compared		47	728

Five years out, South Plains College graduates earn about the national figure but about $2,339 less than the Texas median. Several Texas programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

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

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

South Plains CollegeOther Texas 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 102% between the first and fifth year.

South Plains College grads, year 1$19,469

South Plains College grads, year 5$39,381

All Texas liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$41,720

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 $143 a month, or 8.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (91 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

88% of graduates (36 of 41) were working in Texas one year after graduating. Prices in the Lubbock area are about 9% below the national average, so a $19,469 salary here buys what about $21,320 buys in a typical US city.

About South Plains College

In-district tuition and fees	$2,731 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$5,155 / year
Average net price after aid	$6,791 / year
Graduation rate (within 1.5 times the normal program length)	29%
Undergraduate students	6,005

Liberal Arts and General Studies is the only associate's program at South Plains College that reports first-year earnings.

Common questions

The median graduate earns $19,469 one year after graduating and $39,381 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in Texas is $27,180.

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 Texas 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 Texas, ranked47 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies associate's programs in the US, ranked728 programs by pay and debt All South Plains College programs, ranked5 programs by pay and debt