Graduates 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 Governors State University 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. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to IL's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults in the young-adult workforce with only a high school credential. The earnings pattern at Governors State University is anchored in Business and a cluster of applied professional fields. General Studies stands out as the program combining the broadest graduate cohort with strong four-year earnings, making it the institution's highest aggregate-return field. Among the top programs by scale, General Studies program graduates 103 students and delivers median earnings of $50,703 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking the program #100 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Psychology, General and Business Administration round out the mid-tier of the program lineup, with graduates earning $47,048 and $59,562 respectively four years after enrollment. The program mix skews toward Business (20% of graduates) and Education (4%), a concentration that shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and connects graduates to stable regional labor-market demand in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Graduates 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 Governors State University 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. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to IL's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults in the young-adult workforce with only a high school credential. The earnings pattern at Governors State University is anchored in Business and a cluster of applied professional fields. General Studies stands out as the program combining the broadest graduate cohort with strong four-year earnings, making it the institution's highest aggregate-return field. Among the top programs by scale, General Studies program graduates 103 students and delivers median earnings of $50,703 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking the program #100 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Psychology, General and Business Administration round out the mid-tier of the program lineup, with graduates earning $47,048 and $59,562 respectively four years after enrollment. The program mix skews toward Business (20% of graduates) and Education (4%), a concentration that shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and connects graduates to stable regional labor-market demand in the Chicago metropolitan area.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates 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 Governors State University 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. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to IL's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults in the young-adult workforce with only a high school credential. The earnings pattern at Governors State University is anchored in Business and a cluster of applied professional fields. General Studies stands out as the program combining the broadest graduate cohort with strong four-year earnings, making it the institution's highest aggregate-return field. Among the top programs by scale, General Studies program graduates 103 students and delivers median earnings of $50,703 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking the program #100 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Psychology, General and Business Administration round out the mid-tier of the program lineup, with graduates earning $47,048 and $59,562 respectively four years after enrollment. The program mix skews toward Business (20% of graduates) and Education (4%), a concentration that shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and connects graduates to stable regional labor-market demand in the Chicago metropolitan area.
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.
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates 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 Governors State University 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. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to IL's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults in the young-adult workforce with only a high school credential. The earnings pattern at Governors State University is anchored in Business and a cluster of applied professional fields. General Studies stands out as the program combining the broadest graduate cohort with strong four-year earnings, making it the institution's highest aggregate-return field. Among the top programs by scale, General Studies program graduates 103 students and delivers median earnings of $50,703 four years after enrollment, with Azimuth ranking the program #100 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology. Psychology, General and Business Administration round out the mid-tier of the program lineup, with graduates earning $47,048 and $59,562 respectively four years after enrollment. The program mix skews toward Business (20% of graduates) and Education (4%), a concentration that shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and connects graduates to stable regional labor-market demand in the Chicago metropolitan area.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
