Graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn median earnings of $60,607 four years after enrollment, placing Northeastern Illinois University in the 45.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $6,812 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 80.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to IL's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. Business is the dominant program family at Northeastern Illinois University, accounting for 25% of degrees awarded, followed by Education at 12% and Social Sciences at 5%. Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it a central contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #128 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 111 graduates earning median earnings of $88,917. The Teacher Education program graduates 109 students with median earnings of $52,176, and Azimuth ranks General Studies #68 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 106 graduates earning median earnings of $55,569.
Graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn median earnings of $60,607 four years after enrollment, placing Northeastern Illinois University in the 45.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $6,812 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 80.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to IL's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. Business is the dominant program family at Northeastern Illinois University, accounting for 25% of degrees awarded, followed by Education at 12% and Social Sciences at 5%. Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it a central contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #128 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 111 graduates earning median earnings of $88,917. The Teacher Education program graduates 109 students with median earnings of $52,176, and Azimuth ranks General Studies #68 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 106 graduates earning median earnings of $55,569.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn median earnings of $60,607 four years after enrollment, placing Northeastern Illinois University in the 45.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $6,812 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 80.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to IL's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. Business is the dominant program family at Northeastern Illinois University, accounting for 25% of degrees awarded, followed by Education at 12% and Social Sciences at 5%. Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it a central contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #128 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 111 graduates earning median earnings of $88,917. The Teacher Education program graduates 109 students with median earnings of $52,176, and Azimuth ranks General Studies #68 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 106 graduates earning median earnings of $55,569.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
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 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 provides additional context for how these program families align with national and regional hiring trends. ```
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn median earnings of $60,607 four years after enrollment, placing Northeastern Illinois University in the 45.9 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure sits below the $56,249 median at comparable institutions (same control and size band). Graduates earn about $6,812 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 80.4 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures still represent lifetime returns relative to IL's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $32,990 — the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential. Business is the dominant program family at Northeastern Illinois University, accounting for 25% of degrees awarded, followed by Education at 12% and Social Sciences at 5%. Computer Science combines the largest cohort scale with competitive earnings, making it a central contributor to the institution's overall return profile. Azimuth ranks Computer Science #128 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions per the program-ranking methodology, with 111 graduates earning median earnings of $88,917. The Teacher Education program graduates 109 students with median earnings of $52,176, and Azimuth ranks General Studies #68 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions, with 106 graduates earning median earnings of $55,569.
