Is a other interdisciplinary studies degree from Boston University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 42% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 65%.

Boston University Other Interdisciplinary Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Boston University other interdisciplinary studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $22,625, which ranks the lowest of 7 other interdisciplinary studies bachelor's programs in Massachusetts. That works out to about $240 a month over 10 years.

Bachelor's in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Private nonprofit university
Boston, MA
About 19 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Boston University other interdisciplinary studies graduates earn more than graduates of most other interdisciplinary studies programs nationally, $54,456 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $22,625 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,591. It is one of the higher-paying other interdisciplinary studies degrees in Massachusetts.

First-year earnings$54,45693rd percentile of 182 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$116,242113% more than year one

Median federal debt$22,625The lowest of 7 Massachusetts programs

Debt-to-earnings42%Massachusetts median 65%, national 65%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Massachusetts and national columns are the medians across all other interdisciplinary studies bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	Boston University	Massachusetts	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$54,456	$41,583	$39,112
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$116,242	$66,525	$54,061
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,625	$26,000	$25,591
Debt as share of first-year pay	42%	65%	65%
Programs compared		8	182

Five years out, Boston University graduates earn more than the national figure and about $49,717 more than the Massachusetts median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Massachusetts other interdisciplinary studies program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Massachusetts medians.

Boston UniversityOther Massachusetts programs

Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.

What graduates earn over time

Pay rises about 113% between the first and fifth year.

Boston University grads, year 1$54,456

Boston University grads, year 5$116,242

All Massachusetts other interdisciplinary studies grads, year 5$66,525

Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $240 a month, or 5.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (34 borrowers)	Share
Paying down the balance	20–39%

The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Boston area are about 8% above the national average, so a $54,456 salary here buys what about $50,298 buys in a typical US city.

About Boston University

Tuition and fees	$68,102 / year
Average net price after aid	$24,402 / year
Admission rate	11%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	89%
Undergraduate students	18,248

Other Interdisciplinary Studies ranks 10th of 35 bachelor's programs at Boston University by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($93,995), Computer Science ($90,050), and Electrical Engineering ($80,528).

Other other interdisciplinary studies bachelor's programs near Boston

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
Boston UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit		$54,456	$22,625
Emmanuel CollegeBoston, MA · private nonprofit	Under 1 mi	$41,346	$27,000
Emerson CollegeBoston, MA · private nonprofit	2 mi	$39,183	$25,987
Suffolk UniversityBoston, MA · private nonprofit	2 mi	$37,935	$24,485
College of the Holy CrossWorcester, MA · private nonprofit	37 mi	$41,820	$27,000

Common questions

The median graduate earns $54,456 one year after graduating and $116,242 five years after. The median across other interdisciplinary studies bachelor's programs in Massachusetts is $41,583.

About this data

Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of Massachusetts comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the other interdisciplinary studies program.

Sources

U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024

Other Interdisciplinary Studies bachelor's programs in Massachusetts, ranked8 programs by pay and debt Other Interdisciplinary Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked182 programs by pay and debt All Boston University programs, ranked35 programs by pay and debt