Graduate earnings are in line with similar institutions.
What graduates earn 10 years after enrollment.
Annual salary at 10 years
Lower quartile earnings
Upper quartile earnings
How graduate earnings grow in the decade after enrollment.
Earnings growth at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale follows a steady upward pattern over time. Graduates earn $43,087 six years after enrollment, increasing to $48,158 at eight years and reaching $53,390 at ten years.
How outcomes compare to similar institutions.
Graduate earnings align with peer institutions — outcomes are in line with similar schools.
Financial justification for the investment.
Healthy debt burden. Most graduates can manage $21,543 in debt with typical earnings.
Median student debt at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale is $21,543, slightly below the peer median of $21,105 but ranking at the 58th percentile nationally. Debt levels range from $6,538 at the 25th percentile to $26,500 at the 75th percentile, showing most students graduate with moderate debt loads.
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale achieves around the national average performance in return on investment, ranking at the 53.5th percentile. Graduates earn $3,826 beyond expectations compared to similar students nationally, placing the university at the 70.3rd percentile for value-added performance.
Approximately 25.2% of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale graduates continue to graduate or professional study, with high confidence in this esti...
Program mix explains much of the earnings story.
The strongest earnings outcomes come from specialized technical and professional programs, with Fire Prevention and Safety Technology leading at $104,017 median earnings, followed by Mechanical Engineering at $80,996 and Aeronautical/Aerospace Engineering Technology at $70,569. These technical fields demonstrate Southern Illinois University-Carbondale's strength in career-focused education that translates directly to high-demand employment.
In contrast, programs like General Studies ($38,449) and Psychology ($39,760) produce more modest earnings typical for liberal arts fields, reflecting different career preparation approaches. The program mix supports diverse student interests while the technical programs drive overall institutional return performance.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Earnings outcomes span a wide range from $34,030 at the 25th percentile to $77,347 at the 75th percentile, representing a 2.3:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. Low-income graduates earn $49,700, indicating strong outcomes for students from lower-income backgrounds relative to their starting points.
