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

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

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

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

The median federal loan balance is $32,147, which ranks 8th lowest of 8 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Connecticut. That works out to about $341 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do University of Bridgeport liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Connecticut?

Most do. 79% (62 of 78) were working in Connecticut one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Private nonprofit university
Bridgeport, CT
About 39 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Bridgeport liberal arts and general studies graduates earn more than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $43,743 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $32,147 in federal loans, more than at 88% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Several Connecticut programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$43,74382nd percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$57,39531% more than year one

Median federal debt$32,1478th lowest of 8 Connecticut programs

Debt-to-earnings73%Connecticut median 58%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	University of Bridgeport	Connecticut	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$43,743	$42,807	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$57,395	$57,594	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$32,147	$25,373	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	73%	58%	73%
Programs compared		8	395

Five years out, University of Bridgeport graduates earn more than the national figure and about the same as the Connecticut median.

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

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

University of BridgeportOther Connecticut 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 31% between the first and fifth year.

University of Bridgeport grads, year 1$43,743

University of Bridgeport grads, year 5$57,395

All Connecticut liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$57,594

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 $341 a month, or 9.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (99 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20% or less
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, 27 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $15,300.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

79% of graduates (62 of 78) were working in Connecticut one year after graduating. Prices in the Bridgeport area are about 7% above the national average, so a $43,743 salary here buys what about $40,933 buys in a typical US city.

About University of Bridgeport

Tuition and fees	$35,760 / year
Average net price after aid	$27,807 / year
Admission rate	83%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	41%
Undergraduate students	1,534

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 3rd of 8 bachelor's programs at University of Bridgeport by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($89,752), Dental Hygiene and Assisting ($65,025), and Liberal Arts and General Studies ($43,743).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of BridgeportBridgeport, CT · private nonprofit		$43,743	$32,147
Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT · private nonprofit	17 mi	$61,133	$15,750
Southern Connecticut StateNew Haven, CT · public	17 mi	$36,168	$26,625
Western Connecticut StateDanbury, CT · public	21 mi	$27,784	$26,782
SUNY Purchase CollegePurchase, NY · public	28 mi	$25,197	$25,000
SUNY Old WestburyOld Westbury, NY · public	32 mi	$27,165	$24,833
Mercy UniversityDobbs Ferry, NY · private nonprofit	37 mi	$46,408	$33,687
Sarah Lawrence CollegeBronxville, NY · private nonprofit	38 mi	$25,846	$24,245
Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT · private nonprofit	39 mi	$39,764	$16,125

Common questions

The median graduate earns $43,743 one year after graduating and $57,395 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Connecticut is $42,807.

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 Connecticut 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 Connecticut, ranked8 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt All University of Bridgeport programs, ranked8 programs by pay and debt