ROI Major

Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other at St. Cloud State University

MN · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 30.99

Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other degree from St. Cloud State University earn a median salary of $55,056 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in MN, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $58,508. The degree typically pays for itself in 9.3 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where bachelor's graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$41,479

Typical Career

$55,056

Top Performers

$74,043

Estimated break-even: 9.3 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$367

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,588. Most students can comfortably afford about a $367 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.4x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.7x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Minnesota buys what costs $0.94 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Educational Services, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 18.3%
Educational Services 16.1%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.7%

Institution-wide industry mix for bachelor's graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$58,508

Nominal: $55,056 in Minnesota (COL 94.1% of national avg) · 6.3% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

9.3 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $30,254 $42,791 $58,252
5 Years After Graduation $41,479 $55,056 $74,043
10 Years After Graduation $50,910 $70,155 $93,359

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $55,056 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in MN, which has a cost-of-living index of 94.1% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $55,056 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9410) = $58,508 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates with a degree in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies from St. Cloud State University experience a positive earnings trajectory. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $42,791, increasing to $55,056 after five years and reaching $70,155 after ten years. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equates to approximately $58,507.97 nationally, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive edge in the job market despite variations in cost of living, particularly in Minnesota, where the cost of living index is slightly below the national average.

The top industries for graduates include Health Care & Social Assistance (18.3%), Educational Services (16.1%), and Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (9.7%). This diverse range of sectors suggests that graduates have multiple pathways to employment. With an estimated break-even point of approximately 9.3 years compared to a high-school-only path, the return on investment for pursuing a degree in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies appears favorable, providing a solid foundation for long-term career growth and stability.

AI-assisted editorial analysis based on Census PSEO data. Fact-checked against source data.

Compare with Another School

See how the Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other degree at St. Cloud State University stacks up against another institution side-by-side.

Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.

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