How much debt do UNT international studies graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $21,033, which ranks 3rd lowest of 7 international studies bachelor's programs in Texas. That works out to about $223 a month over 10 years.

Is a international studies degree from UNT worth it?

It depends on your other options. Debt equals 69% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 69%. Compare the cost with other Texas programs before deciding.

Do UNT international studies graduates stay in Texas?

Most do. 85% (61 of 72) were working in Texas one year after graduating.

UNT International Studies (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in International/Globalization Studies
Public university
Denton, TX
About 64 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UNT international studies graduates earn about what international studies graduates earn nationally, $30,621 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $21,033 in federal loans, close to the national median of $22,233. Several Texas programs report higher pay.

First-year earnings$30,62138th percentile of 80 programs nationally

Earnings after 5 years$49,04660% more than year one

Median federal debt$21,0333rd lowest of 7 Texas programs

Debt-to-earnings69%Texas median 65%, national 69%

How it compares

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

	UNT	Texas	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$30,621	$36,305	$32,513
Earnings, 5 years after graduating	$49,046	$60,771	$54,564
Median federal debt at graduation	$21,033	$21,500	$22,233
Debt as share of first-year pay	69%	65%	69%
Programs compared		7	80

Five years out, UNT graduates earn less than the national figure and about $11,725 less than the Texas median.

Debt and first-year pay at every Texas international studies program

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

UNTOther Texas 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 60% between the first and fifth year.

UNT grads, year 1$30,621

UNT grads, year 5$49,046

All Texas international studies grads, year 5$60,771

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 $223 a month, or 8.7% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Two years into repayment (63 borrowers)	Share
Paid off in full	20% or less
Paying down the balance	20–39%
Paused payments (forbearance)	20–39%
In default	20% or less

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. Separately, 24 parents took out Parent PLUS loans for these students, with a median of $21,708.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

85% of graduates (61 of 72) were working in Texas one year after graduating. Prices in the Dallas area are about 3% above the national average, so a $30,621 salary here buys what about $29,703 buys in a typical US city.

Careers this field leads to

These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to international studies, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.

Political Scientists

$114,050

Median pay in Texas. 160 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to shrink 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year. Typical education to start: master's degree.

Bottom 10%: $87,530Top 10%: $139,010

About UNT

In-state tuition and fees	$11,309 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$21,149 / year
Average net price after aid	$15,649 / year
Admission rate	72%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	61%
Undergraduate students	34,341

International Studies ranks 50th of 60 bachelor's programs at UNT by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering ($78,714), Electrical Engineering ($75,265), and Construction Engineering Technology ($72,266).

Other international studies bachelor's programs near Denton

School	Distance	Year 1 pay	Debt
UNTDenton, TX · public		$30,621	$21,033
UT ArlingtonArlington, TX · public	33 mi	$29,118	$25,028

Common questions

The median graduate earns $30,621 one year after graduating and $49,046 five years after. The median across international studies bachelor's programs in Texas is $36,305.

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 Texas 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 international 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

International Studies bachelor's programs in Texas, ranked7 programs by pay and debt International Studies bachelor's programs in the US, ranked80 programs by pay and debt All UNT programs, ranked60 programs by pay and debt