Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at San Jose State University

A Bachelor's in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at San Jose State comes with an estimated $15,862 in debt—about $10,000 less than the national median for this major. That's genuinely good news, especially for a state university serving a substantial population of Pell-eligible students. Based on comparable programs in California, graduates typically earn around $40,000 in their first year, putting the debt load at less than 40% of first-year income. That's a manageable starting point, though not a financial windfall.

The challenge is what this degree signals to employers in the competitive Bay Area job market. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies programs vary wildly in outcomes—from UCLA's $46,000 to UC Irvine's $35,000—and the lack of reported data for San Jose State itself means we can't know where its graduates land on that spectrum. The major's breadth can be either an asset or a liability depending on how well your child articulates what they've learned and where they want to go. In Silicon Valley, where specialized skills often command premium wages, a $40,000 starting salary suggests entry-level work that doesn't necessarily leverage the region's higher pay scales.

The relatively low debt makes this less risky than many bachelor's programs, but your child should have a clear plan for what comes after—whether that's graduate school, a specific career path, or skills they'll develop alongside the degree. This isn't a credential that opens obvious doors on its own.