Is a other interdisciplinary studies degree from Cal Poly Humboldt worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 40% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 65%.

Cal Poly Humboldt Other Interdisciplinary Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Cal Poly Humboldt other interdisciplinary studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $18,196, which ranks 6th lowest of 8 other interdisciplinary studies bachelor's programs in California. That works out to about $193 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Cal Poly Humboldt other interdisciplinary studies graduates stay in California?

Most do. 88% (35 of 40) were working in California one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other
Public university
Arcata, CA
About 32 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Cal Poly Humboldt other interdisciplinary studies graduates earn about what other interdisciplinary studies graduates earn nationally, $45,490 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $18,196 in federal loans, less than at 89% of other interdisciplinary studies programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying other interdisciplinary studies degrees in California.

First-year earnings$45,49069th percentile of 182 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$45,421About the same as year one

Median federal debt$18,1966th lowest of 8 California programs

Debt-to-earnings40%California median 43%, national 65%

How it compares

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

	Cal Poly Humboldt	California	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$45,490	$40,433	$39,112
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$45,421	$58,914	$54,061
Median federal debt at graduation	$18,196	$17,264	$25,591
Debt as share of first-year pay	40%	43%	65%
Programs compared		8	182

Five years out, Cal Poly Humboldt graduates earn less than the national figure and about $13,493 less than the California median.

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

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

Cal Poly HumboldtOther California 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 is about the same in the first and fifth year.

Cal Poly Humboldt grads, year 1$45,490

Cal Poly Humboldt grads, year 5$45,421

All California other interdisciplinary studies grads, year 5$58,914

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 $193 a month, or 5.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (35 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

88% of graduates (35 of 40) were working in California one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of California outside metro areas are about the same as the national average.

About Cal Poly Humboldt

In-state tuition and fees	$8,250 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$20,850 / year
Average net price after aid	$13,171 / year
Admission rate	98%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	49%
Undergraduate students	5,612

Other Interdisciplinary Studies ranks 3rd of 32 bachelor's programs at Cal Poly Humboldt by first-year earnings. The top three are Environmental Engineering ($55,589), Forestry ($52,810), and Other Interdisciplinary Studies ($45,490).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $45,490 one year after graduating and $45,421 five years after. The median across other interdisciplinary studies bachelor's programs in California is $40,433.

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 California 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 California, ranked8 programs by pay and debt Other Interdisciplinary Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked182 programs by pay and debt All Cal Poly Humboldt programs, ranked32 programs by pay and debt