International Relations and National Security Studies at Saint Michael's College

Vermont's other international relations programs report substantially higher earnings—Middlebury at $68,344 and Norwich at $43,621—which makes the national estimate of $37,198 for Saint Michael's particularly concerning. The state median for this field sits at $55,982, suggesting Vermont graduates in international relations typically do better than the national average, but without actual data from Saint Michael's, it's impossible to know whether this program follows that pattern or underperforms it.

The estimated debt load of $21,500 isn't excessive on its own, yielding a manageable 0.58 debt-to-earnings ratio if the $37,000 figure holds true. But that's a significant "if." The absence of reportable data—likely due to very small graduating cohorts—means you're making a decision with limited visibility into actual outcomes. This could reflect a small, specialized program that places graduates effectively but doesn't generate enough data for public reporting, or it could indicate weaker outcomes that don't match peer schools in the state.

Before committing, you need to directly ask Saint Michael's about actual employment outcomes and starting salaries for recent graduates in this major. The gap between the national estimate and what Vermont programs typically produce is too wide to ignore, and the 92% admission rate suggests this isn't a highly selective program that might command premium outcomes. Get concrete placement data specific to Saint Michael's before assuming this investment will work out.