MAJORS · 8 OF 19 BY ROI
Is a miscellaneous degree worth it?
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$189,612. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$189,612
across 1,743 bachelor’s programs · 162,405 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$125K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
−$17K ⟷ +$344K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
30.1%
MEDIAN PROGRAM-ESTIMATED BREAK-EVEN AGE
35
Among programs that break even; weighted by graduate cohorts. These are program estimates, not tracked individual graduate outcomes.
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$78K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$107K
The biggest fields inside Miscellaneous
- Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other. 44,581 grads +$425K
- Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services. 24,101 grads −$39K
- Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics. 17,502 grads +$115K
- International/Global Studies. 7,379 grads +$298K
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services. 7,373 grads +$18K
Mean lifetime ROI per field, cohort-weighted. A category average hides this spread — and the per-school spread inside each field is wider still.
Subfield deep-dives inside Miscellaneous
- Is an interdisciplinary studies degree worth it? 44,581 grads +$442K
- Is a human development & family studies degree worth it? 24,101 grads −$25K
- Is a romance languages degree worth it? 17,502 grads +$106K
- Is a global studies degree worth it? 7,379 grads +$226K
- Is a food & nutrition degree worth it? 7,373 grads −$9K
- Is a family & consumer sciences degree worth it? 7,260 grads −$9K
- Is a linguistics & language studies degree worth it? 6,424 grads −$25K
- Is a multidisciplinary studies degree worth it? 5,883 grads +$114K
- Is an apparel & textiles degree worth it? 5,053 grads +$176K
Median lifetime ROI per subfield, cohort-weighted. Each page carries the full statistics — spread, break-even age, the share who never break even.
Questions
- Is a miscellaneous degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 1,743 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Miscellaneous is +$189,612 and the median is +$124,545. 30.1% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between −$17,052 and +$343,903.
- How long until a miscellaneous degree pays off?
- For Miscellaneous, Among programs that break even, the median program-estimated break-even age, weighted by graduate cohorts, is 35. 30.1% of graduate cohort weight with reported break-even data is in programs flagged as never breaking even. FREOPP 2021.
- Does the school matter for a miscellaneous major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Miscellaneous graduates span −$17,052 to +$343,903 — a +$361K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 19 categories with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Miscellaneous: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/miscellaneous