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

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 78% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 38%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.

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

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

The median federal loan balance is $27,562, which ranks 39th lowest of 39 liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $292 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do University of Mount Olive liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in North Carolina?

Most do. 73% (32 of 44) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating.

Associate's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Private nonprofit university
Mount Olive, NC
About 48 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Mount Olive liberal arts and general studies graduates earn more than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $35,452 in their first year. Debt is high. The typical graduate leaves with $27,562 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 North Carolina.

First-year earnings$35,45292nd percentile of 728 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$43,11022% more than year one

Median federal debt$27,56239th lowest of 39 North Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings78%North Carolina median 28%, national 38%

How it compares

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

	University of Mount Olive	North Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$35,452	$26,838	$27,139
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$43,110	$36,186	$40,284
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,562	$7,500	$10,864
Debt as share of first-year pay	78%	28%	38%
Programs compared		49	728

Five years out, University of Mount Olive graduates earn more than the national figure and about $6,924 more than the North Carolina median.

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

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

University of Mount OliveOther North Carolina 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.

University of Mount Olive grads, year 1$35,452

University of Mount Olive grads, year 5$43,110

All North Carolina liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$36,186

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 9.9% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (62 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

73% of graduates (32 of 44) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the Goldsboro area are about 12% below the national average, so a $35,452 salary here buys what about $40,076 buys in a typical US city.

About University of Mount Olive

Tuition and fees	$27,366 / year
Average net price after aid	$18,853 / year
Admission rate	76%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	52%
Undergraduate students	1,796

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 2nd of 2 associate's programs at University of Mount Olive by first-year earnings. The other is Health Sciences ($69,449).

Other liberal arts and general studies associate's programs near Mount Olive

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of Mount OliveMount Olive, NC · private nonprofit		$35,452	$27,562
Wayne Community CollegeGoldsboro, NC · public	15 mi	$26,028	$5,500
James Sprunt Community CollegeKenansville, NC · public	19 mi	$25,999	$11,278
Johnston Community CollegeSmithfield, NC · public	25 mi	$25,872	$5,812
Lenoir Community CollegeKinston, NC · public	28 mi	$33,374	$9,118
Wilson Community CollegeWilson, NC · public	37 mi	$23,530	$10,000
Wake Technical Community CollegeRaleigh, NC · public	47 mi	$30,373	$11,000
Coastal Carolina Community CollegeJacksonville, NC · public	49 mi	$21,682	$5,500
Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeFayetteville, NC · public	49 mi	$36,276	$12,037

Common questions

The median graduate earns $35,452 one year after graduating and $43,110 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies associate's programs in North Carolina is $26,838.

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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina, ranked49 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies associate's programs in the US, ranked728 programs by pay and debt All University of Mount Olive programs, ranked14 programs by pay and debt