Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at Indiana University-Southeast

The estimated $25,373 in debt here sits noticeably above what similar programs in Indiana typically produce—peer institutions show median debt closer to $20,400. That difference matters when first-year earnings land around $40,600, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio that's workable but tight. Based on comparable programs statewide, graduates can expect to carry roughly seven months' worth of pre-tax earnings in debt, which means repayment will claim a meaningful chunk of early paychecks.

What complicates the picture is the wide range among Indiana programs in this field. Some graduates from peer institutions start above $57,000, while others begin under $30,000. Multi-disciplinary studies degrees often function as flexible credentials that depend heavily on how students package their coursework and what career paths they pursue. The estimated figures here suggest a middle-ground outcome—neither the strong earning power of more specialized programs nor the concerning debt loads that would make repayment genuinely difficult.

For families evaluating this investment, the key question becomes execution risk. The estimated numbers suggest viability if your student has a clear plan for how they'll market this degree to employers. Without that clarity, the higher-than-typical debt combined with earnings that merely match state medians creates little financial margin for figuring things out post-graduation.