Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at University of Minnesota-Duluth

First-year earnings of $41,926 place this program well ahead of the pack—graduates earn substantially more than the national median of $31,459 for this field and outpace the state median of $33,000 by a meaningful margin. This is particularly notable given that even the flagship Twin Cities campus reports median earnings of $33,000 for this major. While the debt figure of $23,000 is estimated from comparable bachelor's programs nationally (the graduate cohort here was too small for the DOE to publish actual debt data), that estimate aligns closely with what similar programs typically carry in Minnesota.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55 suggests manageable repayment, with estimated debt falling well below first-year income. If that $23,000 estimate holds true, graduates would face monthly payments around $255 on a standard 10-year plan—roughly 7% of gross monthly income at the reported earnings level. That's a workable financial picture for recent graduates, particularly when compared to programs that push debt-to-earnings ratios above 1.0.

The key uncertainty is whether individual students will accumulate debt near that $23,000 estimate or significantly above it. Because the actual debt for Duluth graduates isn't available, families should clarify expected borrowing with the financial aid office before committing. If debt stays close to the estimate and earnings match what's been reported, this program offers a stronger financial return than most gender and ethnic studies degrees nationally.