International Relations and National Security Studies at Mount Holyoke College

The small sample size here is crucial context, but the pattern warrants scrutiny: Mount Holyoke's international relations graduates start at just $26,306—significantly below the Massachusetts median of $45,870 and landing in the 10th percentile statewide. While earnings more than double by year four to $54,503 (ultimately surpassing even Tufts), that initial earning power is less than half what graduates from comparable Massachusetts programs command right out of college. For a family counting on their child contributing to loan payments immediately after graduation, that first year could strain finances despite the relatively modest $18,486 debt load.

The sharp earnings growth suggests graduates may be entering fellowship programs, graduate school, or government positions that pay poorly initially but lead to better opportunities. That's a viable path for students with financial cushion, but it requires family support during those lean early years. Mount Holyoke's selective profile (1422 average SAT) indicates the program attracts strong students, yet they're dramatically underperforming peers at Boston University and Tufts in early earnings.

With fewer than 30 graduates in this dataset, these numbers might not reflect typical outcomes. But if your child needs to be financially independent quickly after graduation, the combination of bottom-decile first-year earnings and what appears to be a delayed career launch makes this program riskier than other Massachusetts options, even accounting for the lower debt.