Is a interdisciplinary studies degree from Florida Gulf Coast University worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 57% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 76%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Florida programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.

Florida Gulf Coast University Interdisciplinary Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Q: How much debt do Florida Gulf Coast University interdisciplinary studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $19,500, which ranks the lowest of 9 interdisciplinary studies bachelor's programs in Florida. That works out to about $207 a month over 10 years.

Q: Do Florida Gulf Coast University interdisciplinary studies graduates stay in Florida?

Most do. 87% (180 of 207) were working in Florida one year after graduating.

Bachelor's in Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General
Public university
Fort Myers, FL
About 285 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

Florida Gulf Coast University interdisciplinary studies graduates earn about what interdisciplinary studies graduates earn nationally, $34,328 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $19,500 in federal loans, less than at 93% of interdisciplinary studies programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying interdisciplinary studies degrees in Florida.

First-year earnings$34,32846th percentile of 52 programs nationally

Median federal debt$19,500The lowest of 9 Florida programs

Debt-to-earnings57%Florida median 68%, national 76%

How it compares

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

	Florida Gulf Coast University	Florida	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$34,328	$35,282	$34,782
Median federal debt at graduation	$19,500	$24,025	$26,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	57%	68%	76%
Programs compared		9	52

Debt and first-year pay at every Florida interdisciplinary studies program

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

Florida Gulf Coast UniversityOther Florida programs

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

Does family income change the outcome?

Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned $2,771 less in their first year than other graduates. They also borrowed more. Students who expect to rely on grants should weigh this gap.

Pell Grant recipients, year 1 earnings$34,040Median debt $20,769

Other graduates, year 1 earnings$36,811Median debt $18,500

Paying back the loans

On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $207 a month, or 7.2% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

42 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $13,684.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

87% of graduates (180 of 207) were working in Florida one year after graduating. Prices in the Cape Coral area are about 2% above the national average, so a $34,328 salary here buys what about $33,540 buys in a typical US city.

About Florida Gulf Coast University

In-state tuition and fees	$6,118 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$25,162 / year
Average net price after aid	$12,568 / year
Admission rate	63%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	57%
Undergraduate students	13,874

Interdisciplinary Studies ranks 26th of 34 bachelor's programs at Florida Gulf Coast University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($70,964), Civil Engineering ($64,411), and Biomedical Engineering ($62,972).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $34,328 one year after graduating. The median across interdisciplinary studies bachelor's programs in Florida is $35,282.

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 Florida 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 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

Interdisciplinary Studies bachelor's programs in Florida, ranked9 programs by pay and debt Interdisciplinary Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked52 programs by pay and debt All Florida Gulf Coast University programs, ranked34 programs by pay and debt