Interdisciplinary Studies
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General: is it worth it?
DegreeReturn Rating — Poor value
A 0–100 score blending this major’s national earnings, ROI and typical debt. How it’s scored.
Poor return
$-21,827 over 10 years
National picture across 48 college programs, at a typical net price.
On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium.
What Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General pays
$40,442
Median earnings (1 yr) as of 2024
$50,934
Median earnings (5 yr) as of 2024
$25,156
Typical debt as of 2024
48
Colleges offering it
Is Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General worth it? On these figures the cost and debt outweigh the earnings premium. Earnings vary a lot by college, so where you study matters — see the best-ROI colleges for this major below.
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General vs similar majors
How Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General stacks up against the closest fields in Interdisciplinary Studies on pay, debt, ROI and the DR Rating. The best figure in each row is highlighted.
| Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General Interdisciplinary Studies · this major | Human Computer Interaction | Systems Science and Theory | Mathematics and Computer Science | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DR Rating | 26 F | 84 A | 90 A | 92 A |
| ROI verdict | Poor return | Strong return | Strong return | Strong return |
| Median earnings (5 yr) | $50,934 | $122,421 | $110,759 | $93,003 |
| Median earnings (1 yr) | $40,442 | $76,324 | $69,716 | $56,140 |
| ROI vs cost | -27% | +806% | +710% | +502% |
| Typical debt | $25,156 | $36,897 | $25,199 | $21,409 |
| Colleges offering it | 48 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General earnings over time
National median earnings one year after graduating, by cohort year — the consistent measure available across the federal data’s history.
Best colleges for Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
Ranked by the ROI of this major at each college — its graduate earnings against the cost.
| # | College | Credential | Earnings (5 yr) | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SUNY College of Technology at Alfred Alfred, NY | Associate's | $79,296 | — | +1,042% | Strong return |
| 2 | Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA | Certificate | $74,599 | $23,250 | +828% | Strong return |
| 3 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA | Associate's | $90,977 | $24,960 | +454% | Strong return |
| 4 | University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO | Professional | $69,893 | $36,386 | +309% | Strong return |
| 5 | SUNY Buffalo State University Buffalo, NY | Certificate | $61,856 | — | +271% | Strong return |
| 6 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK | Associate's | $58,308 | $19,100 | +254% | Strong return |
| 7 | Lipscomb University Nashville, TN | Associate's | $61,152 | — | +226% | Strong return |
| 8 | Stonehill College Easton, MA | Associate's | $65,928 | — | +217% | Strong return |
| 9 | Eastern Washington University Cheney, WA | Associate's | $54,564 | $19,534 | +174% | Strong return |
| 10 | University of North Florida Jacksonville, FL | Associate's | $51,720 | $15,653 | +158% | Strong return |
| 11 | Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL | Associate's | $50,873 | $19,111 | +140% | Strong return |
| 12 | National University San Diego, CA | Associate's | $57,291 | $31,250 | +115% | Strong return |
| 13 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ | Associate's | $53,789 | $22,494 | +112% | Strong return |
| 14 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ | Certificate | $61,002 | $55,556 | +100% | Strong return |
| 15 | Touro University New York, NY | Associate's | $57,888 | $16,666 | +97% | Strong return |
| 16 | University of Central Florida Orlando, FL | Associate's | $50,442 | $19,408 | +95% | Strong return |
| 17 | Fitchburg State University Fitchburg, MA | Associate's | $52,167 | $22,976 | +94% | Strong return |
| 18 | Marist University Poughkeepsie, NY | Associate's | $59,695 | $25,000 | +59% | Break-even |
| 19 | Boise State University Boise, ID | Associate's | $53,063 | $24,051 | +55% | Break-even |
| 20 | The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL | Associate's | $52,664 | $26,735 | +40% | Break-even |
| 21 | Cambridge College Boston, MA | Associate's | $51,218 | — | +0% | Break-even |
| 22 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Metropolitan Campus Teaneck, NJ | Associate's | $48,160 | $25,000 | -21% | Poor return |
| 23 | Auburn University Auburn, AL | Associate's | $49,480 | $21,750 | -21% | Poor return |
| 24 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ | Associate's | $47,828 | $25,349 | -25% | Poor return |
| 25 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA | Associate's | $48,524 | $21,595 | -30% | Poor return |
Related majors
Human Computer Interaction $122,421Systems Science and Theory $110,759Mathematics and Computer Science $93,003Science, Technology and Society $81,097Dispute Resolution $78,662Cognitive Science $77,676Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution $76,478Sustainability Studies $68,768
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.