Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Illinois State University graduates experience steady income growth throughout the post-graduation period. Earnings begin at $50,599 six years after enrollment, increase to $57,276 at eight years, and reach $62,117 at ten years, representing 22.8% growth from the six-year to ten-year measurement.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings align with peer institutions — outcomes are in line with similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $20,482 in debt with typical earnings.
Illinois State University graduates leave with median debt of $20,482, comparable to the peer median of $20,000. Debt levels range from $8,000 at the 25th percentile to $26,000 at the 75th percentile, showing reasonable variation in borrowing patterns.
Illinois State University demonstrates well above average return on investment, ranking at the 76.1st percentile nationally for overall return performance. Graduates earn $4,985 beyond expectations compared to similar students, placing the university in the 73.7th percentile for earnings uplift.
Approximately 23.2% of Illinois State graduates continue to graduate or professional study, indicating the university provides strong preparation for ...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
Program-level earnings demonstrate clear patterns across academic disciplines at Illinois State University. Banking and Financial Support Services leads at $72,770, followed by Adult Health Nurse/Nursing at $72,761 and Accounting Technology at $72,270.
Business and health programs consistently generate the strongest financial returns, typically producing earnings in the $62,000-$73,000 range. Education programs, while achieving strong national rankings, typically generate lower earnings in the $44,000-$49,000 range, reflecting career paths in public service.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings distribution at Illinois State University spans from $44,007 at the 25th percentile to $86,157 at the 75th percentile, creating a 2.0:1 ratio that indicates meaningful but not extreme variation in graduate outcomes. Low-income graduates earn $47,000, demonstrating solid mobility potential for students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
