How much debt do UM-Dearborn liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $32,609, which ranks 10th lowest of 12 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Michigan. That works out to about $346 a month over 10 years.

Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from UM-Dearborn worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 86% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other Michigan programs before deciding.

UM-Dearborn Liberal Arts and General Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: Do UM-Dearborn liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Michigan?

Most do. 91% (41 of 45) were working in Michigan one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Dearborn, MI
About 22 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UM-Dearborn liberal arts and general studies graduates earn about what liberal arts and general studies graduates earn nationally, $37,742 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $32,609 in federal loans, more than at 89% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Several Michigan programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$37,74258th percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$46,71124% more than year one

Median federal debt$32,60910th lowest of 12 Michigan programs

Debt-to-earnings86%Michigan median 82%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	UM-Dearborn	Michigan	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$37,742	$37,904	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$46,711	$52,125	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$32,609	$30,255	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	86%	82%	73%
Programs compared		12	395

Five years out, UM-Dearborn graduates earn less than the national figure and about $5,414 less than the Michigan median.

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

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

UM-DearbornOther Michigan 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 24% between the first and fifth year.

UM-Dearborn grads, year 1$37,742

UM-Dearborn grads, year 5$46,711

All Michigan liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$52,125

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 $346 a month, or 11.0% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (66 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.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

91% of graduates (41 of 45) were working in Michigan one year after graduating. Prices in the Detroit area are about the same as the national average.

About UM-Dearborn

In-state tuition and fees	$15,640 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$32,896 / year
Average net price after aid	$9,492 / year
Admission rate	56%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	58%
Undergraduate students	5,952

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 16th of 23 bachelor's programs at UM-Dearborn by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Programming ($80,830), Computer Engineering ($79,022), and Electrical Engineering ($78,942).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UM-DearbornDearborn, MI · public		$37,742	$32,609
Wayne StateDetroit, MI · public	9 mi	$25,046	$18,028
Oakland UniversityRochester Hills, MI · public	25 mi	$36,157	$28,000
University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MI · public	26 mi	$38,065	$20,728
Siena Heights UniversityAdrian, MI · private nonprofit	49 mi	$44,746	$27,137

Common questions

The median graduate earns $37,742 one year after graduating and $46,711 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Michigan is $37,904.

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 Michigan 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 Michigan, ranked12 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt All UM-Dearborn programs, ranked23 programs by pay and debt