Top Ranked Programs
Northeastern Illinois University's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 25% of graduates, followed by Education at 12% and Social Sciences at 5%. That concentration in applied-professional and social-service fields shapes the institution's overall earnings profile and reflects its role as an urban public university serving a diverse, working-adult student population in Chicago. Across Computer Science, Teacher Education, General Studies, and Social Work, the largest programs graduate cohorts ranging from 96 to 111 students annually. The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in accounting and business-adjacent fields. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #128 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $88,917. Azimuth ranks Business Administration #237 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with graduates earning $69,226 from a cohort of 60 — the program that combines the largest enrollment with the strongest pay, making it the [highest aggregate-return program](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) at Northeastern Illinois University. Accounting graduates earn $68,328 four years out, and Azimuth ranks the program #181 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Several of Northeastern Illinois University's larger programs — including General Studies and Psychology, General — feed into local-labor careers in education and social services where four-year earnings tend to be moderate but employment demand remains steady. Social Work and Human Resources Management and Services represent fields where graduates are more likely to enter the workforce directly at competitive salaries. The [supply-demand map for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides additional context for how these program families align with national and regional hiring trends. ```