Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 59% 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.

University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Liberal Arts and General Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $27,000, which ranks 6th lowest of 11 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Oklahoma. That works out to about $286 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in Oklahoma?

Most do. 72% (170 of 237) were working in Oklahoma one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Norman, OK
About 203 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus liberal arts and general studies graduates earn more than graduates of most liberal arts and general studies programs nationally, $45,726 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $27,000 in federal loans, close to the national median of $27,000. It is one of the higher-paying liberal arts and general studies degrees in Oklahoma.

First-year earnings$45,72688th percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$55,64122% more than year one

Median federal debt$27,0006th lowest of 11 Oklahoma programs

Debt-to-earnings59%Oklahoma median 69%, national 73%

How it compares

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

	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus	Oklahoma	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$45,726	$37,786	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$55,641	$44,083	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$27,000	$26,595	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	59%	69%	73%
Programs compared		11	395

Five years out, University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus graduates earn more than the national figure and about $11,558 more than the Oklahoma median.

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

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

University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusOther Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma-Norman Campus grads, year 1$45,726

University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus grads, year 5$55,641

All Oklahoma liberal arts and general studies grads, year 5$44,083

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 $3,768 less in their first year than other graduates. They also borrowed more. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$45,575Median debt $31,000

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$49,343Median 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 7.5% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (200 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	10% or less
Paying down the balance	30–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	10–19%
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, 51 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $14,981.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

72% of graduates (170 of 237) were working in Oklahoma one year after graduating. Prices in the Oklahoma City area are about 10% below the national average, so a $45,726 salary here buys what about $50,577 buys in a typical US city.

About University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus

In-state tuition and fees	$9,797 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$27,377 / year
Average net price after aid	$15,300 / year
Admission rate	77%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	75%
Undergraduate students	22,734

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 25th of 49 bachelor's programs at University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($78,610), Chemical Engineering ($77,751), and Dental Hygiene and Assisting ($75,367).

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

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusNorman, OK · public		$45,726	$27,000
Randall UniversityMoore, OK · private nonprofit	7 mi	$38,244	$30,786
Southern Nazarene UniversityBethany, OK · private nonprofit	23 mi	$23,445	$30,754
University of Central OklahomaEdmond, OK · public	31 mi	$37,786	$27,000
Langston UniversityLangston, OK · public	52 mi	$35,510	$31,000
East Central UniversityAda, OK · public	54 mi	$37,389	$25,354

Common questions

The median graduate earns $45,726 one year after graduating and $55,641 five years after. The median across liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in Oklahoma is $37,786.

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 Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma, ranked11 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 Oklahoma-Norman Campus programs, ranked49 programs by pay and debt