Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus

UC Denver's Ethnic Studies program punches above its weight nationally—landing in the 78th percentile for earnings—while keeping debt well below typical levels. With $28,375 in median debt against $37,621 in first-year earnings, graduates start with manageable obligations, and the strong 24% earnings growth to $46,728 by year four suggests meaningful career progression rather than stagnation.

The state context tells a more nuanced story. While this program outperforms the national median by nearly $6,000, it sits closer to the middle among Colorado's offerings. That said, it still edges out larger programs like Metro State, and the debt burden is actually lower than the state median—an advantage that matters when every dollar counts.

Here's the caveat that matters: we're looking at fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers could shift considerably with a larger sample. If your student is passionate about this field and understands that careers in ethnic studies, advocacy, or cultural work often require strategic networking and potentially graduate education, the fundamentals here are solid. The combination of reasonable debt and steadily growing earnings creates breathing room for career development without crushing financial pressure from day one.