Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies at Wheaton College (Massachusetts)

Drawing on what comparable interdisciplinary programs in Massachusetts produce, Wheaton's estimated first-year earnings of roughly $41,600 land right at the state median—but that median itself trails behind what schools like BU, Brandeis, and UMass-Amherst achieve with their graduates in this field. The estimated debt load of $26,000 creates a manageable 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio, meaning graduates would owe about seven months of salary, which is reasonable by national standards. Still, the spread between top performers (Boston University at $54,400) and the state median suggests that outcomes in interdisciplinary studies vary considerably based on institutional resources and network strength.

What makes this particularly challenging to evaluate is that Wheaton's actual outcomes aren't being reported—these estimates come from peer programs across the state. For a school with a 1321 average SAT and selective liberal arts positioning, you'd hope to see performance closer to Holy Cross's $41,800 or better, but without actual data, there's no way to know whether Wheaton's graduates outperform or underperform the state average. The debt figure is similarly borrowed from similar Massachusetts institutions.

The practical question is whether you're comfortable with roughly $26,000 in debt for a degree whose earning potential, based on state comparables, sits squarely in the middle of the pack. If your student thrives in Wheaton's environment and leverages its network effectively, outcomes could exceed these estimates—but the absence of reported data means you're making that decision without the transparency you'd want for a $100,000+ investment.