Social Sciences at Caldwell University

The four-year earnings figure of $46,416 tells a more encouraging story than the estimated first-year number suggests. While comparable programs nationally indicate graduates start around $37,459, this program shows meaningful income growth to nearly $47,000 by year four. That trajectory matters more than the starting point, particularly for a Bachelor's degree from a school where nearly half of students qualify for Pell grants. The estimated debt of roughly $27,000 creates a manageable 0.72 ratio to first-year earnings—below the 1.0 threshold that typically signals repayment stress.

What's harder to gauge is how this specific program stacks up against New Jersey's social sciences landscape. Other NJ schools report first-year earnings closer to $44,000, suggesting Caldwell's graduates may start lower than state peers, though without actual data for this program, that's speculative. The stronger four-year number could mean graduates catch up through career development, or it might reflect survivorship bias if struggling graduates left the dataset.

The practical takeaway: if your child is considering Caldwell for social sciences, the estimated debt load appears reasonable, and the four-year earnings suggest the degree can support itself financially. But press the school directly about graduate outcomes and career placement for this specific major—when the DOE can't report actual data, you need that information straight from the source before committing.