Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies at Marian University

A $26,500 debt load against first-year earnings around $35,000 creates a manageable but tight financial picture for Marian's interdisciplinary studies program. Similar programs nationally suggest graduates enter careers earning roughly $35,000—modest compensation that makes the three-quarter debt-to-earnings ratio workable, though not comfortable. You're looking at monthly loan payments consuming a meaningful chunk of early paychecks, requiring careful budgeting in those crucial first years after graduation.

The challenge with interdisciplinary studies is that career outcomes depend heavily on how students package their coursework and what connections they build during college. Programs like this can lead anywhere from nonprofit work to business roles to further graduate study, which means peer program data may not reflect what your student specifically accomplishes. With only three Wisconsin schools offering this major and no reported outcomes data from any of them, you're working with limited visibility into how this degree performs regionally.

The practical reality: if your student has a clear career direction and uses this flexible major strategically—perhaps combining it with internships, a professional minor, or graduate school preparation—the debt load is survivable. But interdisciplinary studies requires more self-direction than pre-professional majors. Make sure your student can articulate what they'll do with this degree before committing to loans, because the broad nature of the program means the outcome sits largely in their hands.