Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at University of Arizona

With a small sample size warning in mind, University of Arizona's Ethnic Studies program shows first-year earnings nearly $14,000 below Arizona's median for this field—landing in just the 10th percentile statewide. At $26,875, graduates start well behind even the national average, though they do see meaningful growth to $38,073 by year four. For context, Arizona State's comparable programs produce median earnings of $40,719, suggesting this isn't simply a field-wide constraint but something specific to U of A's outcomes.

The debt load itself is reasonable at $25,219, translating to a manageable 0.94 debt-to-earnings ratio. The real concern is the opportunity cost: if your student can attend ASU instead (with similar admission selectivity), they're looking at substantially better starting earnings in the same field. The 42% earnings growth does soften the picture somewhat, but graduates still end year four below where ASU graduates apparently begin.

Given the limited sample size, these numbers could shift dramatically year to year. However, the bottom-line question for Arizona families is straightforward: why choose this program when in-state alternatives show significantly stronger outcomes? Unless U of A offers specific faculty expertise or program elements unavailable elsewhere, the earnings gap is too wide to ignore.