Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at University of Nevada-Las Vegas

UNLV's Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies program starts graduates at $32,165—about $6,500 below the national median for these majors. While that might seem concerning, the program shows strong earnings momentum: by year four, graduates reach $48,810, a 52% increase that pushes them well above typical outcomes for this degree. The debt load of $30,875 sits below the national average, though that near-1.0 debt-to-earnings ratio means you're essentially borrowing a full year's starting salary.

Here's the unusual twist: as Nevada's only program in this field, state percentile rankings don't tell us much. What matters more is that UNLV serves a high-need population (40% receive Pell grants) with an open-access model, and these graduates are climbing the earnings ladder faster than most of their peers nationwide. The gap between starting and mid-career earnings suggests students may be using this degree as a stepping stone into careers that value flexibility over specialized credentials.

The real question is what your child plans to do with this degree. The strong earnings growth indicates it can work for motivated students with clear career plans, but that rough first year financially means having a strategy matters more than usual. If they're using this as preparation for graduate school or entering fields where the broad curriculum is an asset, the trajectory looks decent. If they're hoping the degree itself will open doors, that $32,000 starting point demands careful financial planning.