---
title: Is a Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other degree worth the debt?
cip: 3099
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is a Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Bachelor's**, across **187** colleges (187 of 187 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $35,122 ($34,603 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $21,698 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 0.59× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $30,066–$40,802 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Associate's | $32,701 | $11,202 | 0.38× | 26 | 26/26 |
| Bachelor's | $35,122 | $21,698 | 0.59× | 187 | 187/187 |
| Master's | $50,365 | $40,601 | 0.69× | 23 | 23/23 |

## Where a Bachelor's in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| University of Minnesota-Crookston (MN) | $82,190 | $16,648 |
| Thomas Edison State University (NJ) | $76,418 | $11,812 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (NY) | $64,983 | $26,500 |
| Drexel University (PA) | $60,242 | $25,000 |
| University of Arkansas Grantham (AR) | $56,582 | — |
| Yale University (CT) | $53,864 | $15,000 |
| Montana State University Billings (MT) | $51,489 | $16,076 |
| Texas Southern University (TX) | $50,406 | $29,480 |
| Western New Mexico University (NM) | $50,375 | — |
| University of Houston (TX) | $49,029 | $18,634 |
| University of Houston-Clear Lake (TX) | $47,440 | $18,758 |
| Baldwin Wallace University (OH) | $47,422 | — |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (MI) | $47,344 | $19,000 |
| The University of Texas at Arlington (TX) | $46,676 | $17,365 |
| Franklin and Marshall College (PA) | $46,421 | $19,000 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/multi-interdisciplinary-studies-other.jsonld` · `/education/fields/multi-interdisciplinary-studies-other.json`