Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at Brookdale Community College

Brookdale's interdisciplinary studies program produces earnings well below what graduates should expect from this degree in New Jersey. At $27,193 in the first year, graduates earn just 63% of the state median for this program ($43,010) and land in the bottom 10th percentile among New Jersey schools. The earnings gap is stark: while Thomas Edison State University graduates from a similar program earn $58,827, Brookdale graduates make less than half that amount. Even compared to the national average of $35,979, these outcomes fall significantly short.

The $13,000 in debt is manageable and roughly average, but it doesn't offset the earnings problem. Yes, income grows 12% to $30,446 by year four, but that's still $12,500 below the state median and suggests graduates are starting from such a low baseline that normal wage growth can't close the gap. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48 isn't alarming on its own, but it reflects an investment that isn't paying off relative to alternatives.

For a New Jersey family, this is a concerning value proposition. If your child is interested in interdisciplinary studies, other in-state options deliver substantially better outcomes. This program might serve students with very specific circumstances—those needing extreme flexibility or already employed with clear advancement paths—but as a general pathway to economic mobility, the data shows it underperforms significantly.