Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies at Maharishi International University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75 is manageable—the median nationwide for this degree sits at essentially the same level—but that doesn't tell you much about Maharishi International specifically. With a 97% admission rate and over half the students receiving Pell grants, this is clearly an institution serving students who need access, yet the suppressed data means we can't verify what outcomes those students are actually achieving after graduation.

The $35,000 estimated first-year earnings figure comes from the national median for similar interdisciplinary bachelor's programs, which might not reflect what's happening in rural Iowa or within Maharishi's particular curriculum approach. Interdisciplinary studies programs can vary wildly in focus and rigor—some are designed as flexible capstones for non-traditional students, others function as catch-all degrees. Without knowing which category this falls into, or how local employers respond to Maharishi credentials, you're essentially flying blind on whether the program delivers value proportional to four years and $26,500 in debt.

The key question is whether this specific program opens doors that justify the investment, and the suppressed data means you can't answer that from federal statistics alone. Before committing, demand concrete information directly from the school: job placement rates, alumni employment outcomes, and specific examples of where recent graduates have landed. If Maharishi can't or won't provide that detail, consider whether you're comfortable betting on a program where even the federal government couldn't collect enough graduate data to publish.