Urban Studies/Affairs at Boise State University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57 sits in reasonable territory for a bachelor's degree, suggesting manageable repayment on a standard ten-year plan. Based on comparable Urban Studies programs nationally, first-year earnings around $40,000 translate to monthly loan payments of roughly $250—tight but workable at about 7.5% of gross income. The estimated $23,000 debt load tracks slightly above the national median for this field, though without other Idaho programs to compare against, it's hard to gauge whether Boise State extracts premium value or simply reflects regional cost structures.

The challenge here is that Urban Studies careers span widely—from city planning offices to nonprofit community development to housing policy—and starting salaries vary considerably depending on which path graduates pursue. The national benchmark shows a $6,400 spread between median and 75th percentile earners, suggesting that job selection and location matter enormously. If your student gravitates toward public sector work in smaller cities, that $40,000 figure may prove optimistic; private sector roles in growing metros could exceed it substantially.

Given the small program size (evidenced by suppressed data) and Boise State's broad access mission, this looks like a niche degree serving students drawn to community development and urban policy. The estimated numbers suggest neither a slam-dunk investment nor a financial trap—more a bet on your student's ability to navigate into the higher-paying corners of a fragmented field.