Social Sciences at Saint Xavier University

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.72 suggests a manageable starting point, with peer programs typically producing graduates who earn about $37,500 in their first year while carrying roughly $27,000 in student loans. That's slightly above the national median debt for social sciences bachelor's programs, though the earnings align squarely with what similar programs deliver nationwide. For a family considering Saint Xavier, the real question is whether this Chicago location—with its urban job market and the school's 56% Pell grant population serving many first-generation students—might offer networking advantages that raw numbers can't capture.

The challenge with social sciences degrees is their breadth: outcomes depend heavily on what students do with the credential, whether that's graduate school, nonprofit work, corporate roles, or public service. Similar programs show wide variation in career trajectories, and without Saint Xavier's specific placement data, you're working from a national template. The debt burden is real but not crushing—roughly equivalent to a modest car loan—assuming your child secures employment in that $37,000 range.

Given the estimation uncertainty, push Saint Xavier's career services office for concrete outcomes: where do their social sciences graduates actually land? What's their graduate school acceptance rate? The 86% admission rate suggests accessibility, but you need evidence that accessibility translates to actual opportunity after graduation, not just a diploma.