International/Global Studies at Bentley University

Bentley's International/Global Studies graduates earn $75,006 in their first year—nearly double the median for this field nationally and about $28,000 more than other Massachusetts programs. This places them in the 95th percentile both nationally and statewide, outpacing even Boston College's already-strong outcomes by nearly $24,000. That's an exceptional result for a field where many graduates struggle to break $40,000.

The $23,625 in median debt is entirely manageable given these earnings, producing a debt-to-income ratio of 0.31—meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in about four months of gross income. This is well below the threshold where debt becomes burdensome. The moderate sample size (30-100 graduates) provides reasonable confidence in these figures without raising red flags about statistical reliability.

What explains these numbers? Bentley's business-focused approach to international studies likely gives graduates marketable skills that translate directly to private sector careers, rather than the nonprofit or public sector paths many global studies majors pursue. Parents should recognize this isn't a traditional liberal arts international studies program—it's a Bentley program, meaning it's filtered through a business lens. For students genuinely interested in both global affairs and business applications, this represents one of the strongest ROI opportunities in the field.