Best Online Liberal Arts Degrees 2026: Outcomes and Pay

For 2026, five online liberal arts, humanities and English bachelor’s programs have College Scorecard outcomes you can compare: Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), Penn State World Campus, the University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), Arizona State University (ASU) Online and Oregon State Ecampus.

Their graduates’ median earnings ran from $48,298 to $66,656 four years after finishing, and median federal debt from $12,833 to $26,500. Public relations specialists earned a median $74,750 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

A liberal arts degree does not train you for one job, so the useful question is which job you want and whether it needs another credential after the BA.

Five online liberal arts programs and what their graduates earned

We picked these five as examples of online liberal arts, humanities and English bachelor’s programs at schools that report the matching field to College Scorecard. It is an editorial selection, not a ranking. Program details below come from each school’s own site.

The outcomes table below reads College Scorecard’s June 2026 field-of-study file. ASU reports under English Language and Literature; the other four report under Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities. SNHU’s own site sells the general studies BA online, but its Scorecard report for the field says no credential is fully online, so ask the school which applies to you.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study data updated June 10, 2026. Earnings and debt cover every graduate of that field and credential at the school, online and on campus together, so they describe the school's graduates, not what any one student will earn. Earnings are the median for graduates working and not enrolled four years after finishing (2017-18 and 2018-19 graduates, in 2024 dollars); debt is the median federal loan debt of graduates (2018-19 and 2019-20); "Not published" means Scorecard suppresses the figure for a small cohort. Scorecard pages: Southern New Hampshire University, Penn State World Campus, Oregon State Ecampus, Arizona State University Online, University of Maryland Global Campus.

Penn State World Campus reported only 6 graduates in this field in 2022-23, so its figures describe a small group.

Scorecard’s figures describe past graduates, not your result

Scorecard is the most consistent public source for comparing schools on pay and borrowing. It helps to know exactly what each number covers.

• Earnings are the median pay of graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. They cover 2017-18 and 2018-19 graduates, in 2024 dollars.
• Debt is the median federal loan debt (Stafford and Grad PLUS) of 2018-19 and 2019-20 graduates. Private loans and money paid out of pocket are not in it.
• Scope is every graduate of that field and credential at the school, online and on campus together. It is not a figure for the online program alone.
• Fully online is the school’s own report of whether all, some or none of its credentials in that field can be finished entirely by distance education.
• “Not published” means Scorecard withheld the figure, usually because the group of graduates is small.

The figures leave out current tuition, how long students take to finish, and what any one student will earn. The outcomes table sorts rows by median earnings because Scorecard publishes that figure for most rows. A higher number does not make a program better for you: the mix of jobs graduates take, where they live and who enrolls all move a school’s median.

General studies, humanities and English are different degrees

General studies degrees let you spread credits widely: SNHU’s pairs 42 general education credits with a 12-credit concentration and electives. Humanities degrees such as UMGC’s draw on literature, history and philosophy. Oregon State says its liberal studies degree is not a general studies program; you build an individualized plan from College of Liberal Arts courses with an advisor.

ASU describes its English BA as centered on literary analysis and writing across genres. Read each program’s course list before you apply.

What the jobs pay: BLS May 2025 wages

These are national BLS wages for May 2025 for jobs that use the writing, research and communication a liberal arts degree builds.

BLS lists a bachelor’s as the typical entry education for public relations specialists, market research analysts and child, family and school social workers, and an associate degree for paralegals. Scorecard’s earnings come four years after graduation, while BLS medians cover workers at every stage of a career, so the two are not directly comparable.

Four checks before you apply

1. Pick the job, then the degree

   Writing and communication jobs fit an English or humanities BA; if you plan on law school, any major can work, so choose the one you will finish.

2. Count your transfer credits

   UMGC accepts up to 90 transfer credits toward its 120-credit BA. Oregon State requires 45 of your last 75 credits at Oregon State. Get each school’s evaluation in writing.

3. Confirm the program is fully online

   Scorecard’s flag covers every credential in the field, so ask the school whether the exact program you want has any in-person parts.

4. Price it with this year's tuition

   Scorecard debt is not the price. Get the current per-credit tuition, then subtract transfer credit, grants and any employer benefit.

Three ways to cut the cost

Federal aid. Students without a bachelor’s can qualify for a Pell Grant, which pays up to $7,395 for 2026-27.

Credit you already have. Transfer credit, exams and prior learning can shorten a 120-credit degree. The guide to finishing a degree faster covers CLEP and prior learning assessment.

Employer tuition help. Up to $5,250 a year of employer-paid education can be tax-free under IRS Section 127. The employer tuition benefits checker lists what several large employers offer.

Frequently asked questions

Is an online liberal arts degree worth it?

It depends on the job you want and what you pay. Graduates of these five programs had median earnings of $48,298 to $66,656 four years after finishing. The ROI calculator shows your break-even year with your own pay and tuition.

What can I do with a liberal arts degree?

The table above lists jobs that use a liberal arts background, from paralegals at $62,890 to technical writers at $90,390 in May 2025. Some, such as law, need another degree first.

Can I get into law school with an online BA?

BLS says most law schools do not require a specific bachelor’s degree. Check each law school’s own admission rules before you enroll.

Next step: see what aid covers before you choose

Shortlist two or three programs from the tables, then get this year’s tuition from each. The aid check shows what Pell, state grants and federal loans could cover for your situation before you commit to one.

Degree Sources is not affiliated with any school listed or with any government agency.