Is a liberal arts and general studies degree from Winston-Salem State worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 81% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 73%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.

Winston-Salem State Liberal Arts and General Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Winston-Salem State liberal arts and general studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $28,524, which ranks 7th lowest of 12 liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $302 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Winston-Salem State liberal arts and general studies graduates stay in North Carolina?

Most do. 95% (57 of 60) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Public university
Winston-Salem, NC
About 53 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Winston-Salem State liberal arts and general studies graduates earn about what liberal arts and general studies graduates earn nationally, $35,414 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $28,524 in federal loans, close to the national median of $27,000. Several North Carolina programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$35,41445th percentile of 395 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$35,537About the same as year one

Median federal debt$28,5247th lowest of 12 North Carolina programs

Debt-to-earnings81%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.

	Winston-Salem State	North Carolina	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$35,414	$32,546	$36,157
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$35,537	$42,025	$48,575
Median federal debt at graduation	$28,524	$28,524	$27,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	81%	84%	73%
Programs compared		12	395

Five years out, Winston-Salem State graduates earn less than the national figure and about $6,488 less 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.

Winston-Salem StateOther 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 is about the same in the first and fifth year.

Winston-Salem State grads, year 1$35,414

Winston-Salem State grads, year 5$35,537

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 $302 a month, or 10.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (95 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20% or less
Paused payments (forbearance)	40–59%
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. Separately, 33 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $7,736.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

95% of graduates (57 of 60) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the Winston-Salem area are about 8% below the national average, so a $35,414 salary here buys what about $38,475 buys in a typical US city.

About Winston-Salem State

In-state tuition and fees	$6,126 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$16,782 / year
Average net price after aid	$13,479 / year
Admission rate	78%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	47%
Undergraduate students	4,170

Liberal Arts and General Studies ranks 7th of 19 bachelor's programs at Winston-Salem State by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($72,639), Medical Laboratory Science ($60,442), and Computer Science ($50,927).

Other liberal arts and general studies bachelor's programs near Winston-Salem

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Winston-Salem StateWinston-Salem, NC · public		$35,414	$28,524
UNC GreensboroGreensboro, NC · public	23 mi	$31,245	$25,898
NC A&TGreensboro, NC · public	25 mi	$30,397	$31,000
Livingstone CollegeSalisbury, NC · private nonprofit	32 mi	$21,640	$35,225

Common questions

The median graduate earns $35,414 one year after graduating and $35,537 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 Winston-Salem State programs, ranked19 programs by pay and debt