Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies at Lasell University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75 sounds reasonable on paper, but here's what matters more: at an estimated $35,000 in first-year earnings, graduates would need to devote about 30% of their gross income just to manage $26,500 in debt over ten years. That's tight, especially in the Boston area where living costs will consume much of what's left. Interdisciplinary studies programs at peer institutions nationally cluster right around these same figures, suggesting this is less about Lasell specifically and more about the broader challenge of bachelor's-level generalist degrees in today's market.

The Massachusetts context adds another layer. Similar programs across the state—like Fitchburg State's, where actual data shows $39,530 in first-year earnings—tend to produce outcomes about $4,000 higher than what comparable national programs suggest for Lasell. Whether that gap reflects program quality, employer recognition, or simply data noise is impossible to know without actual graduate outcomes. What we do know: interdisciplinary studies degrees are often stepping stones to graduate school or career pivots, and that first-year number may not capture their full value.

The practical question is whether $26,500 in debt makes sense for a credential that typically starts around $35,000. If your child has a clear path forward—grad school plans, internships leading somewhere specific, or family support to ease the financial transition—this could work. Without those elements, the margin for error looks uncomfortably thin.