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Liberal Arts General Studies

Instructional content for this group of programs is defined in codes 24.0101 - 24.0199.

Types of Degrees Liberal Arts General Studies Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Liberal Arts General Studies may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	114,608
Associate’s Degree	363,119
Bachelor’s Degree	38,260
Master’s Degree	24,160
Doctor’s Degree	141

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Liberal Arts General Studies graduates include:

• College Teacher
• Urban Planning Teacher
• Teacher
• University Teacher
• Interior Design Teacher
• Lecturer
• Industrial Arts Teacher
• Flight Simulator Teacher
• Humanities Teacher
• Medical Secretary Teacher
• Computer Technology Instructor
• University Professor
• Associate Professor
• Liberal Arts Teacher
• Adjunct Instructor

Who Is Earning a Degree in Liberal Arts General Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.3% of Liberal Arts General Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	336,422	62.3%
Men	203,902	37.7%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Liberal Arts General Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	246,161	45.6%
Asian	31,054	5.7%
Hispanic or Latino	149,878	27.7%
Black or African American	57,291	10.6%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3,422	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1,436	0.3%
Two or More Races	23,667	4.4%
Race Unknown	16,834	3.1%
International Students	10,581	2.0%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Liberal Arts General Studies Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Liberal Arts General Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$32,164
4 years	$37,934
5 years	$44,008

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $44,008 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Liberal Arts General Studies Programs

Fully online options is reported by IPEDS for Liberal Arts General Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	631	458
Bachelor’s	208	229
Master’s	38	32
Doctoral (Research)	2	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Liberal Arts General Studies Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Liberal Arts General Studies graduates earn a median of $37,934 four years after completion — essentially in line with the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Liberal Arts Sciences Humanities	540,324
LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL STUDIES AND HUMANITIES	—

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.