Three Routes Start
University degree

Arts & humanities

BA (Arts and Humanities)

24 of 30 verified for BC; "start something" routes use national figures · How we verify
Trades go through SkilledTradesBC (4 levels, Youth Train in Trades lets you start Level 1 in high school). Numbers from WorkBC and Job Bank BC, BCIT, VCC and UBC.
Years to credential4
First real paycheque~4 years
Time in a classroom85%
Total cost$30,300
Typical debt after$18,000
Demand in BCSteady

The first ten years

schoolschoolschoolschoolschoolearnearnearnearnearn
Mostly in schoolEarning

Earnings by year, roughly

What's in "net by year 10"
Earnings, years 1 to 10$335k4 years at $0 while in school, then $46,000 rising to $61,500 by year five, flat after
Program cost−$30ktuition and fees
Typical (medians)$305kthe number on the card
Low to high$250k to $358kpay 15% under or over the median, cost 15% more or 10% less

Not counted: income tax, rent, food, loan interest, inflation, and unemployment gaps. They apply to every route, so they change the size of each number more than the order. Pay is the British Columbia median before tax from the sources on this page.

The picture

What the day-to-day isReading, writing, argument. Small seminars in upper years.
What actually stops peopleNone on entry. Direction has to come from the student.
The downsideStarting salaries are the lowest of any degree. Earnings catch up by mid-career for those who move into law, teaching, policy or management.
If you're the parentNot a waste, but not a job either. It works best with a clear next step in mind: law school, teacher's college, a professional certificate.
Local opportunities in British Columbia

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How to enter

What you need
  • Courses: English (U)
  • Average around 65+
Deadlines in BC
  • EducationPlannerBC: most deadlines January 15 to March 15; some programs rolling
  • StudentAid BC opens in spring

Next steps in British Columbia

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In British ColumbiaSFU and UVic Arts tuition is similar (~$6,000-6,500/yr).
www.workbc.ca · students.ubc.ca

✓ Verified 2026-10-09 for BC Sources: WorkBC NOC 13100 administrative officers (Job Bank BC wages 2025) as the typical generalist BA job; UBC 2026/27 Arts tuition

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