1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [Illinois State University](/school/illinois-state-university/) 4. / 5. Career outcomes brief Career outcomes brief Copy linkPrint brief # Illinois State University Career Outcomes & Earnings Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/illinois-state-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/illinois-state-university/cost/)Outcomes[Admissions](/school/illinois-state-university/admissions/)[Majors](/school/illinois-state-university/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/illinois-state-university/similar/) **On this page**+ ## How much do Illinois State graduates earn? The reported median is $62,507 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is \-$3,103 per year. Illinois State University delivers earnings that are roughly in line with what the model expects for similar students, but the absolute dollar figures trail comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $369 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level, a result in the 56th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Four years after completion, the median earnings are $62,507, in the 58th percentile nationally. That median sits below the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size), a gap of $3,103. [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) the return pillar in the 61st percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $10,681. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $10,312. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $122. Earnings at Illinois State University depend heavily on the program a student completes. The earnings scenarios, estimated from the university's program mix, range from a downside of $49,209 to an upside of $87,051, with a typical scenario of $62,507. These are scenarios, not observed groups of graduates. The highest-earning programs show what the upper end of that range looks like. Computer Science graduates earn a median of $111,099 four years after completion, from 58 degrees awarded a year. Computer and Information Sciences and Management Information Systems and Services follow at $98,382 and $95,120, respectively. An estimated 27.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the university's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees. **Median earnings · four years after completion** $62,507 **Rank for difference from expectations** 56th percentile Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks **Illinois State reported median** $62,507 **Peer schools comparable schools · $3,103 above Illinois State** $65,610 **Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $369 below Illinois State** $62,138 School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. [How the model works](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). ## How many Illinois State students return and finish their degrees? First-time, full-time bachelor’s cohorts · CDS 2024-25 **Completed within six years** 64.5% **Pell recipients completed within six years** 52.0% Source: Illinois State University Common Data Set 2024-25, B4–B11 six-year completion. ## How could earnings differ from the median? The planning scenarios range from $49,209 to $87,051, around the reported median of $62,507. Compare the lower scenario with [Illinois State borrowing and monthly payments](/school/illinois-state-university/cost/) to see how a smaller income could change your plan. Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate. Earnings four years after completion Planning rangeReported median **Lower estimate** $49,209 **Median · reported** $62,507 **Higher estimate** $87,051 Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates. [Why the downside matters](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. [Read about the move to four-year earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). ## Do Illinois State graduates earn more than expected? Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls [value added](/methodology/#value-added). Illinois State graduates’ reported earnings are $369 above that expectation, the 56th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls. The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Illinois State caused a student to earn. [Read how expected earnings are estimated](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/). What explains value-added earnings? **Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.** +$10,681 **Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.** \-$10,312 **Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.** +$369 These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. ## Which fields at Illinois State report the highest earnings? Illinois State University awards bachelor's degrees across 57 fields with published four-year earnings, and [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) 46 of them nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. The highest-earning ranked program, Finance, shows a median of $85,326 four years after completion, with 161 degrees awarded and an Azimuth national rank of #69. Marketing follows at $77,956, ranking #42 nationally on 243 degrees awarded. Teacher Education, the largest program at 471 degrees awarded, reports median earnings of $49,240 and ranks #76 nationally. Communication and Media Studies reaches $60,414 and ranks #75 nationally on 156 degrees awarded, showing a more moderate return alongside the higher-earning business fields. Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management ranks #2 nationally and #1 in Illinois, with 81 degrees awarded. Its completers earn a median of $55,032 four years after completion. Agriculture sits at #4 nationally and #1 in Illinois, with 122 degrees awarded. Its completers earn $63,600 four years after completion. Engineering Technologies/Technicians is ranked #6 nationally, awarded 33 degrees, and shows a median of $80,530. Illinois State University holds 46 ranked bachelor's programs across 57 fields with earnings data. Teacher Education is the largest program, awarding 471 degrees and ranking #76 nationally, with completers earning $49,240. Highest reported four-year program earnings **Computer Science** $111,099 **Computer and Information Sciences, General** $98,382 **Management Information Systems and Services** $95,120 **Insurance** $94,124 **Construction Management** $91,017 **Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications** $90,953 **Finance and Financial Management Services** $85,326 **Public Health** $84,790 [Explore Illinois State program cohorts and field ranks](/school/illinois-state-university/majors/#largest-cohorts) for more context. ## Further analysis Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show how earnings vary by field: a downside of $49,209, a typical outcome of $62,507, and an upside of $87,051. Anchoring the range in named programs, Computer Science reaches $111,099 at the high end, while Teacher Education, the largest program, sits at $49,240. Four years after completion, the median earnings of federally aided graduates from Illinois State University stand at $62,507, measured among a cohort of 5,719 completers. That figure is below the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size), placing the university in the 58th percentile nationally. Graduates earn about $369 more than the model expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level. Earnings scenarios anchored on the university's program mix show a downside scenario of $49,209 and an upside scenario reaching $87,051. An estimated 27.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The median earnings sit just below the peer median, while the earnings scenarios show a wide spread between the downside and upside, reflecting the range of programs available. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).