Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from UMass Lowell worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 73% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%, and the share of borrowers in default two years into repayment is 10% or less. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Massachusetts programs report higher pay.

UMass Lowell Liberal Arts and General Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do UMass Lowell liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $27,000, which ranks 8th lowest of 12 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Massachusetts. That works out to about $286 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do UMass Lowell liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Massachusetts?

Most do. 77% (71 of 92) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Lowell, MA
About 82 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UMass Lowell liberal arts and general studies graduates earn about what liberal arts and general studies graduates earn nationally, $37,140 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $27,000. Several Massachusetts programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$37,14054th percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$45,33722% more than year one

Median federal debt$27,0008th lowest of 12 Massachusetts programs

Debt-to-earnings73%Massachusetts median 71%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	UMass Lowell	Massachusetts	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$37,140	$39,141	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$45,337	$49,010	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,000	$26,500	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	73%	71%	73%
Programs compared		12	395

Five years out, UMass Lowell graduates earn less than the national figure and about $3,673 less than the Massachusetts median.

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

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

UMass LowellOther Massachusetts 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 22% between the first and fifth year.

UMass Lowell grads, year 1$37,140

UMass Lowell grads, year 5$45,337

All Massachusetts liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$49,010

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 slightly more in their first year than other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $28,000 against $21,500.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$37,934Median debt $28,000

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$34,560Median debt $21,500

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $286 a month, or 9.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (109 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10% or less
Paying down the balance	20–29%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–29%
In default	10% 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, 28 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $15,735.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

77% of graduates (71 of 92) were working in Massachusetts one year after graduating. Prices in the Boston area are about 8% above the national average, so a $37,140 salary here buys what about $34,304 buys in a typical US city.

About UMass Lowell

In-state tuition and fees	$16,966 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$36,264 / year
Average net price after aid	$17,163 / year
Admission rate	83%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	65%
Undergraduate students	11,434

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 21st of 27 bachelor's programs at UMass Lowell by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($86,167), Computer Engineering ($85,280), and Electrical Engineering ($82,798).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UMass LowellLowell, MA · public		$37,140	$27,000
Bentley UniversityWaltham, MA · private nonprofit	19 mi	$72,333	$26,000
Regis CollegeWeston, MA · private nonprofit	21 mi	$52,559	$27,000
Lesley UniversityCambridge, MA · private nonprofit	22 mi	$35,658	$30,057
MITCambridge, MA · private nonprofit	24 mi	$103,135	$11,935
Framingham StateFramingham, MA · public	25 mi	$31,613	$23,250
Endicott CollegeBeverly, MA · private nonprofit	26 mi	$45,277	$15,456
Worcester StateWorcester, MA · public	37 mi	$43,996	$23,907

Common questions

The median graduate earns $37,140 one year after graduating and $45,337 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Massachusetts is $39,141.

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 Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts, ranked12 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt All UMass Lowell programs, ranked29 programs by pay and debt