Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at Tufts University

A $26,000 debt load for first-year earnings around $42,000 puts this interdisciplinary degree in reasonable territory—at least based on what similar Massachusetts programs typically produce. That 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio falls comfortably below the danger zone, and the estimated earnings align with the state median for these programs. But here's the complication: at an institution where the average SAT hits 1513 and only one in ten applicants gets in, these numbers trail far behind what peer programs achieve. Boston University's interdisciplinary graduates earn $54,000, Brandeis reaches $52,000, and even UMass-Amherst hits $48,000—all substantially higher than the $42,000 estimate here.

The gap matters because Tufts carries prestige-level expectations. Interdisciplinary studies programs work brilliantly for students with clear professional direction who use the flexibility strategically, but they can also become catch-all degrees for those still figuring things out. Without seeing actual outcomes from Tufts graduates in this specific program, you're betting on the school's overall brand to compensate for what appears, based on comparable programs, to be a weaker earnings trajectory than other selective options in Massachusetts. The debt picture won't crush your child, but the opportunity cost of choosing this path over a more focused major at the same institution—or a similar program at a school with demonstrably stronger outcomes—deserves serious examination before committing.