Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at University of North Dakota

With only three schools offering this degree in North Dakota, patterns are hard to discern, but University of North Dakota's program sits below what you'd typically see statewide. While comparable programs nationally suggest first-year earnings around $38,700, North Dakota State reports actual earnings of $44,064 for its graduates—about $5,400 more than the national estimate suggests UND's program might produce. That's a significant gap in a state where interdisciplinary studies programs aren't common to begin with.

The debt picture offers better news. At $18,764, graduates here carry roughly $6,700 less than the typical national burden for these programs, and even less than North Dakota's state median of $20,132. This creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.48, meaning students owe less than half their first-year salary—a manageable starting point for most graduates, particularly when compared to programs where debt can stretch to a full year's earnings or beyond.

The challenge is uncertainty. With earnings suppressed due to small graduate numbers and only estimates from peer programs to work with, you're essentially betting that UND's outcomes mirror the national pattern rather than matching the stronger results at North Dakota State down the road. If your child is drawn to interdisciplinary studies specifically, the modest debt provides some protection against downside risk, but the program's value depends heavily on how actual outcomes compare to schools where we have real data.