Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at Salem State University

This program's estimated debt-to-earnings picture—$24,757 borrowed against first-year earnings around $40,000—looks manageable on paper, with debt sitting at 62% of that initial salary. However, those figures come from national medians across similar geoscience programs, not actual outcomes from Salem State graduates, making it difficult to assess whether this specific program delivers competitive results. The geoscience field encompasses everything from environmental consulting to petroleum exploration, and career trajectories vary wildly depending on specialization and regional job markets.

Massachusetts has 16 schools offering this degree, and the state median debt ($23,250) runs slightly lower than the national benchmark, suggesting Salem State's estimated borrowing sits near the norm. But first-year earnings around $40,000 mean graduates would face monthly loan payments of roughly $275 on a standard 10-year plan—tight but feasible if employment materializes quickly. The challenge is that geoscience careers often require either graduate training or extensive fieldwork experience to reach stronger earning potential, potentially extending the financial timeline beyond what these initial figures suggest.

Without actual outcome data from Salem State, you're essentially betting that this program performs at least as well as the typical geoscience bachelor's program nationally. Given the field's volatility and the likelihood that stronger outcomes flow to graduates from research-intensive institutions, that's a meaningful uncertainty to weigh against your family's specific financial circumstances.