Graduates of Northern Illinois University earn median 4-year earnings of $64,583, placing Northern Illinois University in the 64.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,142 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 79.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northern Illinois University #518 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 193 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $49,669, ranked #200 nationally in its major. Health/Medical Preparatory Programs reports 153 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,778, ranked #9 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 149 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $73,176, ranked #126 nationally in its major. Computer Science reports 132 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $93,438, ranked #125 nationally in its major.
Graduates of Northern Illinois University earn median 4-year earnings of $64,583, placing Northern Illinois University in the 64.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,142 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 79.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northern Illinois University #518 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 193 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $49,669, ranked #200 nationally in its major. Health/Medical Preparatory Programs reports 153 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,778, ranked #9 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 149 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $73,176, ranked #126 nationally in its major. Computer Science reports 132 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $93,438, ranked #125 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.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $22,162 in debt with typical earnings.
Graduates of Northern Illinois University earn median 4-year earnings of $64,583, placing Northern Illinois University in the 64.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,142 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 79.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northern Illinois University #518 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 193 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $49,669, ranked #200 nationally in its major. Health/Medical Preparatory Programs reports 153 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,778, ranked #9 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 149 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $73,176, ranked #126 nationally in its major. Computer Science reports 132 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $93,438, ranked #125 nationally in its major.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Northern Illinois University's program mix is anchored in Business, which accounts for 20% of degree output — a concentration that shapes the institution's overall earnings profile. Education represents 7% of graduates and Engineering accounts for 6%, rounding out a portfolio tilted toward applied-professional fields. Across 49 programs serving roughly 2,839 students annually, 41 meet Azimuth's ranking threshold. Computer Science is the program that combines the largest cohort scale with strong earnings, making it the institution's highest aggregate-return major. Psychology, General is the largest program by graduates (193 annually), and Azimuth ranks it #183 nationally for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Among the highest-earning programs, Computer Science leads with median earnings of $93,438 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #108 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions. Mechanical Engineering follows at $86,999, ranked #174 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions, while The Accounting program graduates 122 students and posts median earnings of $83,573. The largest programs beyond Psychology, General include Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (153 graduates, median earnings of $55,778) and Business Administration (149 graduates, median earnings of $73,176). The Computer Science program graduates 132 students with median earnings of $93,438 four years after enrollment. Several of these applied-business and health-adjacent fields feed directly into regional workforce demand, while programs like Nursing (166 graduates) represent pathways where four-year earnings may undercount lifetime trajectory for graduates who continue to graduate or professional study. For context on how Azimuth evaluates programs, see the methodology overview. ```
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Northern Illinois University earn median 4-year earnings of $64,583, placing Northern Illinois University in the 64.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $6,142 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 79.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks Northern Illinois University #518 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Program outcomes vary by major. Psychology, General reports 193 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $49,669, ranked #200 nationally in its major. Health/Medical Preparatory Programs reports 153 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $55,778, ranked #9 nationally in its major. Business Administration, Management and Operations reports 149 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $73,176, ranked #126 nationally in its major. Computer Science reports 132 graduates and median 4-year earnings of $93,438, ranked #125 nationally in its major.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
