Graduates of Illinois State University earn median 4-year earnings of $62,507, placing Illinois State University in the 62.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,313 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 63.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Illinois State University #571 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 471 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $49,240, ranked #75 nationally in its major. Marketing reports 243 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $77,956, ranked #41 nationally in its major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 207 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,264, ranked #222 nationally in its major. Finance and Financial Management Services reports 161 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $85,326, ranked #69 nationally in its major.
Graduates of Illinois State University earn median 4-year earnings of $62,507, placing Illinois State University in the 62.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,313 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 63.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Illinois State University #571 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 471 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $49,240, ranked #75 nationally in its major. Marketing reports 243 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $77,956, ranked #41 nationally in its major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 207 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,264, ranked #222 nationally in its major. Finance and Financial Management Services reports 161 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $85,326, ranked #69 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.
Graduates of Illinois State University earn median 4-year earnings of $62,507, placing Illinois State University in the 62.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,313 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 63.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Illinois State University #571 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 471 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $49,240, ranked #75 nationally in its major. Marketing reports 243 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $77,956, ranked #41 nationally in its major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 207 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,264, ranked #222 nationally in its major. Finance and Financial Management Services reports 161 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $85,326, ranked #69 nationally in its major.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Illinois State University's program mix is anchored in Business, education, and health-related fields — a portfolio consistent with the institution's identity as a comprehensive public university in central Illinois. Teacher Education is the largest program with 471 graduates, followed by Digital Marketing (243 graduates), Nursing (207 graduates), Finance (161 graduates), and Communication and Media Studies (156 graduates). Business accounts for 21% of degree output, with Education at 17% and Arts at 5%, reflecting a balance between applied-professional and foundational academic fields. Across 62 programs serving roughly 4,489 students annually, 55 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Teacher Education combines the largest cohort with solid earnings, making it the program that contributes most to Illinois State University's aggregate return profile. Graduates of Teacher Education earn median earnings of $49,240 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks the program #100 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Among the highest-earning programs, Azimuth ranks Finance #66 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 161 graduates earning $85,326. Azimuth ranks Nursing #266 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $81,264, and Azimuth ranks Digital Marketing #38 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $77,956. Several of Illinois State University's strongest programs feed directly into stable, in-demand labor markets. Business Administration (147 graduates, $66,660) and Criminal Justice (146 graduates, $62,506) represent high-mobility pathways where four-year earnings reflect direct workforce entry. Education-related programs, by contrast, tend toward local-labor markets with more moderate early-career pay but steady long-term demand — a pattern visible in the . The breadth of Illinois State University's program portfolio means outcomes vary meaningfully by field, and students choosing between business, health, and education tracks should weigh both early earnings and career-trajectory differences. ```
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Illinois State University earn median 4-year earnings of $62,507, placing Illinois State University in the 62.6 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $1,313 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 63.9 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Illinois State University #571 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods reports 471 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $49,240, ranked #75 nationally in its major. Marketing reports 243 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $77,956, ranked #41 nationally in its major. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing reports 207 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $81,264, ranked #222 nationally in its major. Finance and Financial Management Services reports 161 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $85,326, ranked #69 nationally in its major.
