Graduates of Governors State University earn median 4-year earnings of $56,405, placing Governors State University in the 31.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,197 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 40.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Governors State University #1044 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities reports 103 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,703, ranked #95 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 87 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $59,562, ranked #255 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 87 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,048, ranked #246 nationally in its major. Criminal Justice and Corrections reports 55 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,811, ranked #99 nationally in its major.
Graduates of Governors State University earn median 4-year earnings of $56,405, placing Governors State University in the 31.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,197 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 40.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Governors State University #1044 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities reports 103 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,703, ranked #95 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 87 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $59,562, ranked #255 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 87 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,048, ranked #246 nationally in its major. Criminal Justice and Corrections reports 55 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,811, ranked #99 nationally in its major.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $18,618 in debt with typical earnings.
Graduates of Governors State University earn median 4-year earnings of $56,405, placing Governors State University in the 31.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,197 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 40.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Governors State University #1044 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities reports 103 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,703, ranked #95 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 87 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $59,562, ranked #255 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 87 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,048, ranked #246 nationally in its major. Criminal Justice and Corrections reports 55 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,811, ranked #99 nationally in its major.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Governors State University's program mix is anchored in business and applied professional fields — a signature consistent with the institution's identity as a regional public university serving working adults and career-focused students in the south suburban Chicago area. Business forms the core of degree output, complemented by health, education, and social science programs that align closely with local labor-market demand. Across 18 programs, the university channels most of its graduates into fields with direct workforce pathways. The highest aggregate return comes from General Studies, which combines meaningful cohort scale with solid four-year earnings — making it the program that contributes most to the institution's overall financial outcomes. Among the most popular programs, General Studies program graduates 103 students with median earnings of $50,703 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #100 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Psychology, General and Business Administration round out the largest programs by graduate count, each feeding into stable regional employment in health, public administration, and social services. The strongest early-career earnings come from Computer Science, with graduates earning $79,154 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks it #165 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Artificial Intelligence and Accounting also deliver competitive early pay, reflecting demand for applied business and technical skills in the greater Chicago labor market. These programs are largely direct-to-workforce pathways where four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes rather than graduate-school deferrals. For context on how these fields align with national wage trends, see the supply and demand for college graduates.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Governors State University earn median 4-year earnings of $56,405, placing Governors State University in the 31.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $4,197 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 40.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Governors State University #1044 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities reports 103 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $50,703, ranked #95 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 87 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $59,562, ranked #255 nationally in its major. Psychology, General reports 87 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $47,048, ranked #246 nationally in its major. Criminal Justice and Corrections reports 55 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,811, ranked #99 nationally in its major.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
