Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies at Roanoke College

Roanoke's Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies program carries an estimated $26,500 in debt—roughly in line with similar bachelor's programs nationally—but the earnings picture tells a tougher story. Based on comparable programs nationwide, first-year earnings of around $35,000 produce a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.75, meaning graduates would owe roughly nine months of their first year's salary. That's manageable on paper, but Virginia's track record for this degree suggests something more promising: Liberty University, the only in-state program with reported outcomes, shows earnings of $40,717, indicating that the national benchmark may be underselling what's possible locally.

The challenge with interdisciplinary degrees is they're hard to categorize for employers, and first-year earnings reflect that ambiguity. Whether this program includes concentrations in marketable areas—business, healthcare, technology—or leans more theoretical will dramatically affect actual outcomes. At a small liberal arts college like Roanoke, the curriculum could go either direction, and with an 80% admission rate, selectivity isn't compensating for a potentially diffuse credential.

Without program-specific data, you're betting on Roanoke's network and your child's ability to articulate what their degree actually prepared them for. If they're using this major to combine two employable fields—say, communication and data analytics—the debt load is reasonable. If it's a catch-all for undecided students, $26,500 could feel heavy when job hunting with a degree employers don't immediately understand.