Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

UW-Milwaukee's Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies program lands graduates right at the state median for debt but trails the median by about $2,000 in earnings—and that gap widens considerably when you look nationally. At $31,714 one year out, graduates earn roughly $7,000 less than the national median for this major, placing the program in just the 19th percentile nationwide. Within Wisconsin, the program sits at the 40th percentile, below schools like UW-Superior where similar graduates earn $41,000.

The debt load of $26,000 isn't excessive by itself, yielding a manageable 0.82 debt-to-earnings ratio. Graduates also see steady income growth—19% over four years—which helps the financial picture improve with time. However, starting at under $32,000 in Milwaukee, where cost of living isn't particularly low, means those early years could be financially tight.

For families considering this program, the question becomes whether the flexibility of an interdisciplinary degree justifies earnings that consistently trail other Wisconsin options. If your student has a clear plan for leveraging this degree—perhaps combining it with specific career skills or using it as a stepping stone to graduate school—it could work. But if they're choosing it by default or hoping the broad training will open doors, the earnings data suggests they might struggle more than peers at other Wisconsin schools offering the same major.