Science, Technology and Society at Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Georgia Tech's Science, Technology and Society program starts slower than you might expect from such a selective institution—$40,000 at graduation puts it in just the 26th percentile nationally for this major. That's $4,500 below the typical STS graduate elsewhere. However, the 34% earnings jump by year four suggests graduates are finding their footing, reaching $54,000 and surpassing the national 75th percentile for the field.

The debt picture offers some reassurance: at $24,125, borrowers face a manageable 0.60 debt-to-earnings ratio, and this sits in the favorable 25th percentile nationally for program debt loads. Since Georgia Tech is the only school in the state offering this major, the state comparison doesn't tell us much, but the trajectory matters more here. This program appears designed for students who understand they're trading immediate earning power for Georgia Tech's credential and network—benefits that take a few years to materialize but ultimately deliver above-average outcomes for the field.

For families focused on first-year ROI, this might feel like an expensive warm-up period given Tech's prestige. But if your student is genuinely interested in the intersection of technology and society (not just picking an "easier" major at an engineering school), the four-year earnings and modest debt load justify the investment—provided they're patient about the initial salary.