Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at University of Southern Indiana

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 puts this program in reasonable territory—based on comparable geosciences bachelor's programs nationally, graduates can expect to earn roughly $40,000 in their first year while carrying an estimated $24,757 in debt. That's a manageable 7.5 months of gross income, well within most financial experts' comfort zone. However, it's worth noting that similar programs across Indiana report a significantly lower median debt of $16,000, suggesting this estimate may reflect broader national patterns rather than Indiana's typically lower borrowing levels.

The estimated first-year earnings align almost exactly with both national and state medians for geosciences degrees, which points to consistency in this field regardless of institution. For context, Purdue—Indiana's flagship STEM institution—reports virtually identical earnings at $39,692. This suggests that entry-level geosciences positions don't carry the same prestige premium as some technical fields, making University of Southern Indiana's open-access model (95% admission rate) potentially advantageous for students who want to avoid the additional debt that often comes with more selective programs.

The real question is whether your student has a clear path to geosciences employment—this isn't a field where you can easily pivot to adjacent careers if the geology job market disappoints. If they're committed to the field and understand that earnings growth typically requires graduate education or specialized certifications, the debt burden here shouldn't derail their financial future. If they're still exploring or treating this as a general science degree, that's where the investment becomes shakier.