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

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 73% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 38%. Compare the cost with other Alabama programs before deciding.

Troy University Liberal Arts and General Studies (Associate's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

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

The median federal loan balance is $27,504, which ranks 21st lowest of 21 liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in Alabama. That works out to about $292 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Troy University liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Alabama?

Many leave. 44% (24 of 55) were working in Alabama one year after graduating.

Associate's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Troy, AL
About 145 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Troy University liberal arts and general studies graduates earn more than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $37,838 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $27,504 in federal loans, more than at 99% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying liberal arts and general studies degrees in Alabama.

First-year earnings$37,83895th percentile of 728 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$42,77913% more than year one

Median federal debt$27,50421st lowest of 21 Alabama programs

Debt-to-earnings73%Alabama median 39%, national 38%

How it compares

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

	Troy University	Alabama	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$37,838	$24,375	$27,139
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$42,779	$39,225	$40,284
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,504	$9,886	$10,864
Debt as share of first-year pay	73%	39%	38%
Programs compared		22	728

Five years out, Troy University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $3,554 more than the Alabama median.

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

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

Troy UniversityOther Alabama 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 13% between the first and fifth year.

Troy University grads, year 1$37,838

Troy University grads, year 5$42,779

All Alabama liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$39,225

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 $292 a month, or 9.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (58 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. Separately, 19 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $6,145.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

44% of graduates (24 of 55) were working in Alabama one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Alabama outside metro areas are about 17% below the national average, so a $37,838 salary here buys what about $45,461 buys in a typical US city.

About Troy University

In-state tuition and fees	$10,176 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$20,352 / year
Average net price after aid	$16,527 / year
Admission rate	96%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	50%
Undergraduate students	9,805

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 2nd of 2 associate's programs at Troy University by first-year earnings. The other is Nursing ($61,890).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Troy UniversityTroy, AL · public		$37,838	$27,504
Enterprise State Community CollegeEnterprise, AL · public	35 mi	$22,991	$7,875
Lurleen B Wallace Community CollegeAndalusia, AL · public	44 mi	$24,295	$5,500

Common questions

The median graduate earns $37,838 one year after graduating and $42,779 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in Alabama is $24,375.

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 Alabama 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 Alabama, ranked22 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies associate's programs in the US, ranked728 programs by pay and debt All Troy University programs, ranked27 programs by pay and debt