Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from UNC Asheville worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 85% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.

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

Q: How much debt do UNC Asheville liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $18,743, which ranks 2nd lowest of 12 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $199 a month over 10 years.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Asheville, NC
About 20 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UNC Asheville liberal arts and general studies graduates earn less than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $22,144 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $18,743 in federal loans, less than at 89% of liberal arts and general studies programs in the country. Debt is low, but pay is also below the North Carolina median of $32,546.

First-year earnings$22,1443rd percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$40,41983% more than year one

Median federal debt$18,7432nd lowest of 12 North Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings85%North Carolina median 84%, national 73%

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 bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	UNC Asheville	North Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$22,144	$32,546	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$40,419	$42,025	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$18,743	$28,524	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	85%	84%	73%
Programs compared		12	395

Five years out, UNC Asheville graduates earn less than the national figure and about $1,606 less than the North Carolina median. Several North Carolina programs with higher debt show higher pay by the five-year mark.

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.

UNC AshevilleOther 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 83% between the first and fifth year.

UNC Asheville grads, year 1$22,144

UNC Asheville grads, year 5$40,419

All North Carolina liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$42,025

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 $199 a month, or 10.8% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (24 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	40–59%

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

Prices in the Asheville area are about 3% below the national average, so a $22,144 salary here buys what about $22,946 buys in a typical US city.

About UNC Asheville

In-state tuition and fees	$7,501 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$24,849 / year
Average net price after aid	$12,250 / year
Admission rate	92%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	54%
Undergraduate students	2,910

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 18th of 20 bachelor's programs at UNC Asheville by first-year earnings. The top three are Engineering ($73,410), Accounting ($53,705), and Computer Science ($48,076).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UNC AshevilleAsheville, NC · public		$22,144	$18,743
North Greenville UniversityTigerville, SC · private nonprofit	39 mi	$29,506	$25,500
East Tennessee StateJohnson City, TN · public	49 mi	$32,474	$25,000
USC UpstateSpartanburg, SC · public	54 mi	$36,241	$30,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $22,144 one year after graduating and $40,419 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in North Carolina is $32,546.

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 bachelor's programs in North Carolina, ranked12 programs by pay and debt Liberal Arts and General Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked395 programs by pay and debt All UNC Asheville programs, ranked20 programs by pay and debt