Social Sciences at University of Wisconsin-River Falls

UW-River Falls graduates with social sciences degrees earn $42,357 in their first year—meaningfully above both the Wisconsin median ($35,115) and the national median ($37,459) for this major. While the debt figure of $24,423 is estimated from peer institutions rather than this program's actual graduates, it aligns closely with typical borrowing for social sciences degrees statewide ($24,750), suggesting a debt-to-earnings ratio around 0.58. That's manageable territory: graduates would owe roughly seven months of their first-year salary.

The earnings advantage here is worth noting. River Falls social sciences graduates out-earn their counterparts at 60% of Wisconsin programs offering this degree, including substantially outperforming UW-Stout's reported figure of $27,873. Compared to the national landscape, they land at the 72nd percentile—well into the top third. For a program at a campus with an 82% admission rate, these outcomes suggest either strong regional employer relationships or graduates who successfully translate social sciences skills into competitive entry-level positions.

The main uncertainty is whether the estimated debt accurately reflects what River Falls students actually borrow. If true borrowing is lower—not uncommon at regional public universities—this program looks even stronger. If it's higher, the cushion narrows but doesn't disappear. Either way, the earnings performance provides real breathing room that many social sciences programs don't deliver.