Urban Studies/Affairs at Wayne State University

Wayne State's Urban Studies program outperforms the national median by about $3,500—landing it in the 64th percentile nationally—but the picture gets murkier when you look closer. With only four Michigan schools offering this degree, and Wayne State sitting right at the state median for both earnings and debt, there's limited basis for comparison. The $43,811 starting salary is respectable for a social science degree, though it falls well short of the national 75th percentile of $46,712.

The debt situation offers better news. At $25,205, graduates carry about 15% more than the national median, but the 0.58 debt-to-earnings ratio means most will owe roughly half their first-year salary—manageable territory. That said, the small sample size (under 30 graduates) means a few outliers could skew these figures significantly in either direction.

For parents evaluating this program, the critical question is career trajectory. Urban planners and policy analysts often see earnings grow substantially with experience, but first-year numbers suggest your child should expect a modest start. Wayne State's accessibility (82% admission rate, 43% Pell Grant recipients) makes this a relatively low-risk option for students genuinely interested in urban policy work, but they shouldn't expect outsized financial returns early on.