University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign delivers exceptional return on educational investment, ranking at the 95.3rd percentile nationally with excellent performance. Graduates earn $11,414 beyond expectations at the 87.2nd percentile, demonstrating the institution's ability to exceed predicted outcomes for its student population characteristics. Median earnings of $81,054 place UIUC at the 94th percentile nationally, substantially outperforming the peer median of $60,543 by $20,511 annually. Debt levels remain controlled at $19,500, positioned $500 below peer institutions at $20,000, creating a favorable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.24. This combination indicates that graduates can manage loan obligations while benefiting from strong earning potential that exceeds expectations based on student demographics and institutional characteristics. The institution's return index reflects this balance of exceptional outcomes with reasonable educational costs.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates demonstrate robust earnings growth over time, with median earnings increasing from $64,802 six years after enrollment to $74,029 at eight years and $81,054 at ten years. This represents 25.1% growth from the six-year mark, indicating steady career advancement as graduates establish themselves professionally. These outcomes are based on a ten-year cohort of 7,090 graduates, providing high confidence in the reported figures and reflecting outcomes across the institution's comprehensive range of academic programs. Graduates earn $11,414 beyond expectations compared to similar students nationally, placing UIUC at the 87.2nd percentile for earnings uplift and demonstrating the institution's effectiveness in translating educational quality into career outcomes. Low-income graduates earn $67,900, showing that the institution supports economic mobility across income backgrounds. The earnings distribution from $54,886 to $116,541 reflects meaningful variation across programs, with particularly strong outcomes in STEM fields. Approximately 27.3% of graduates continue to graduate or professional study, indicating the institution prepares students effectively for both immediate workforce entry and advanced education pathways.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
Earnings outcomes at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign show substantial variation across programs and career trajectories. The gap between the 25th percentile ($54,886) and 75th percentile ($116,541) represents a 2.1:1 ratio, reflecting the institution's diverse academic portfolio and the varying market value of different fields. Computer Science graduates lead with median earnings of $143,775, followed by Computer Engineering at $122,137 and Banking and Financial Support Services at $99,685. This distribution demonstrates how program choice significantly influences post-graduation earning potential. With more than 7,000 graduates included in the ten-year cohort, these outcomes represent substantial sample sizes across multiple disciplines rather than isolated high-performing tracks.
Financial justification for the investment.
Earnings outcomes at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign show substantial variation reflecting diverse career paths and program choices. The distribution spans from $54,886 at the 25th percentile to $116,541 at the 75th percentile, creating a 2.1:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. Low-income graduates earn $67,900, demonstrating the institution's effectiveness in supporting economic mobility for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This spread indicates meaningful upward mobility potential for graduates across different socioeconomic backgrounds while reflecting the varied earning potential of different academic programs.
Approximately 27.3% of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates continue to graduate or professional school, based on program mix analysis with high confidence. This substantial graduate school continuation rate indicates the institution effectively prepares students for both immediate workforce entry and advanced academic pursuits, providing flexibility for different career pathways.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's strongest earnings outcomes concentrate in STEM and business fields, with Computer Science leading at $143,775 median earnings and Computer Engineering following at $122,137. Business programs also perform exceptionally, with Banking and Financial Support Services reaching $99,685 and Information Resources Management at $96,374. Traditional engineering fields like Mechanical Engineering ($87,705) and Electrical Engineering ($90,757) maintain strong outcomes, while quantitative fields such as Mathematical Statistics ($84,760) also exceed $80,000. This program diversity enables students with different interests to access high-earning career paths, though outcomes vary significantly based on field selection. The range from highest-earning programs exceeding $140,000 to more modest outcomes around $60,000 in social sciences demonstrates how program choice substantially influences post-graduation earning potential at UIUC.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Earnings outcomes at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign show substantial variation reflecting diverse career paths and program choices. The distribution spans from $54,886 at the 25th percentile to $116,541 at the 75th percentile, creating a 2.1:1 ratio between top and bottom quartiles. Low-income graduates earn $67,900, demonstrating the institution's effectiveness in supporting economic mobility for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This spread indicates meaningful upward mobility potential for graduates across different socioeconomic backgrounds while reflecting the varied earning potential of different academic programs.
