MAJORS · 36 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a multidisciplinary studies degree worth it?
Part of Miscellaneous — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$117,327. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$117,327
across 60 bachelor’s programs · 5,883 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$114K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
+$25K ⟷ +$243K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
19.1%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
35
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$18K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$103K
Questions
- Is a multidisciplinary studies degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 60 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Multidisciplinary Studies is +$117,327 and the median is +$114,245. 19.1% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between +$25,179 and +$242,875.
- How long until a multidisciplinary studies degree pays off?
- Among Multidisciplinary Studies programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 35 (FREOPP 2021). 19.1% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a multidisciplinary studies major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Multidisciplinary Studies graduates span +$25,179 to +$242,875 — a +$218K 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 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Multidisciplinary Studies: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/multidisciplinary-studies