Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies graduates earn $55,693 four years out. Related careers are growing at up to 21.8%, one of the stronger demand signals across all fields. Computer & Information Research Scientist is among the highest-growth roles in the field.
This page covers Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Interdisciplinary Studies and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies is a focused area of study within Interdisciplinary Studies. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $55,693 four years out, a solid return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 855 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 29,596 students complete it each year, most walking away with a bachelor's. The focus is on writing, analysis, and communication that transfer across industries.
Four years after finishing Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, a typical graduate earns $55,693, near the national median for college graduates. Half of earners land somewhere between $40,311 and $72,165, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Do not judge the field on a starting paycheck alone: pay tends to jump in the first few years, climbing from $38,654 at one year out to $55,693 by year four. Source: College Scorecard.
What that figure means in practice depends on what the degree cost to get, which is a matter of lifetime earnings against total outlay.
Starting salaries only. Earnings in this field grow substantially in the first 3 to 5 years.
Near the national median for college graduates.
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Not every Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Career path divergence explains most of the range. Law, consulting, and tech-adjacent roles pull the top end up; writing, education, and nonprofit roles tend to sit near the bottom.
Solid ROI. At median 4-year earnings of $55,693 and an estimated $60,696 four-year net cost, the typical graduate reaches earnings breakeven in roughly 2.4 years.
Based on outcomes from 667 schools. Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Of the 29,596 students who complete Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies programs each year, the majority (72%) earn a bachelor's degree. The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
This degree does not lock you into one job. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies graduates show up in 8 different occupations, and Computer & Information Systems Manager pays the most at $175,140/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
The best-paid of these is what a Computer & Information Systems Manager earns and how fast the role is growing, though entry requirements vary across the list.
Not sure where to study Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by score, that list starts with the cost and outcomes at Liberty University, and the rest follow the same measures.
| # | College | Graduates | Acceptance | Net Price/yr | Earnings 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberty University Lynchburg, VA · Nonprofit | 1,824 | 99% | $29,357 | $44,813 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX · Public | 624 | 57.4% | $21,315 | $72,097 |
| 3 | University of North Texas Denton, TX · Public | 612 | 72.2% | $15,649 | $57,010 |
| 4 | Citrus College Glendora, CA · Public | 583 | Open | $4,135 | $42,065 |
| 5 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN · Public | 491 | 79.8% | $16,778 | $69,020 |
| 6 | University of Maryland-Baltimore County Baltimore, MD · Public | 488 | 72.4% | $16,467 | $69,960 |
| 7 | Georgia State University Atlanta, GA · Public | 463 | 55.4% | $15,931 | $47,384 |
| 8 | University of Houston-Downtown Houston, TX · Public | 428 | 90% | $10,542 | $53,551 |
| 9 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX · Public | 376 | 94.2% | $4,831 | $49,620 |
| 10 | East Texas A&M University Commerce, TX · Public | 337 | 92.2% | $11,841 | $50,296 |
| 11 | Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN · Public | 293 | 69.1% | $13,359 | $48,541 |
| 12 | University of Houston-Clear Lake Houston, TX · Public | 282 | 90.5% | $15,563 | $59,004 |
| 13 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN · Nonprofit | 281 | 5.9% | $15,846 | $91,565 |
| 14 | Duke University Durham, NC · Nonprofit | 281 | 5.7% | $29,612 | $97,800 |
| 15 | Stephen F Austin State University Nacogdoches, TX · Public | 280 | 94% | $14,260 | $49,634 |
| 16 | Lamar University Beaumont, TX · Public | 280 | 86.4% | $9,366 | $49,652 |
| 17 | University of Houston Houston, TX · Public | 269 | 73.9% | $14,276 | $62,377 |
| 18 | University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD · Public | 267 | 44.8% | $15,678 | $82,860 |
| 19 | University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA · Public | 265 | 59.7% | $22,383 | $71,631 |
| 20 | Tulsa Community College Tulsa, OK · Public | 264 | Open | $6,288 | $39,746 |
Ranked by Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats. Read our methodology →
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of a Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find schools that match your profile.
See if a Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies degree pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings its graduates actually see.
Enter a budget and see the colleges whose net price fits, with the out-of-pocket cost and likely loan load for each.
Put any 2–4 colleges side-by-side. Admissions, cost, outcomes, and earnings, all on one screen, no tab-hopping.
Answer six quick questions and see your best-fit colleges ranked by budget, field of study, and what matters most to you.
The data on Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies shows 4 measurable strengths and 1 real trade-offs. All points are sourced from College Scorecard earnings, BLS projections, and IPEDS graduate counts.
The highest-earning college major out-pays the lowest by a factor of two and a half. The full ranking of all 38 fields by median graduate earnings, with job growth alongside.
A popular claim holds that the applied engineering-tech degree pays more than the theoretical one. Across every program, engineering wins by about $10,000.
Across 88 STEM programs the top one out-earns the bottom by $65,000 a year. Operations research pays $122,531; environmental design pays $57,461.
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