University Of St Francis

University of St Francis's program mix is anchored in health and applied professional fields — a signature consistent with the institution's identity as a focused private nonprofit university in Joliet, Illinois. Health programs form the core of degree output, with Business accounting for 17% of graduates, followed by Education at 4% and Arts at 2%.

Across 21 programs serving roughly 410 students annually, the institution concentrates its degree output in fields with direct pathways into stable, in-demand careers rather than spreading broadly across academic disciplines. The program combining the largest cohort scale with strong four-year earnings is Nursing, which anchors University of St Francis's economic profile.

Among the most popular programs, Nursing program graduates 127 students annually with median earnings of $87,383 four years after enrollment, and Azimuth ranks it #197 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Health Administration and Biology, General round out the largest enrollment clusters, each feeding graduates into fields with consistent regional hiring demand.

The highest-earning programs at University of St Francis include Human Resources Management and Services, with graduates earning $90,495 four years after enrollment — Azimuth ranks it #9 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions — followed by Nursing at $87,383 and Health Administration at $79,421. The institution's concentration in health and applied professional fields reflects a direct-to-workforce orientation.

Programs in nursing, health sciences, and related disciplines are high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the labor market immediately after graduation and four-year earnings reflect actual hiring outcomes rather than an interim step toward graduate study. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how health and applied professional fields align with national labor-market demand, where hiring in clinical and allied-health roles has remained durable across economic cycles.

University of St Francis's published cost of attendance is $46,239. Net price by income band shows meaningful variation: low-income families pay approximately $8,547, mid-low-income families pay around $5,584, middle-income families pay about $10,749, mid-high-income families pay approximately $11,311, and higher-income families pay around $20,192.

Azimuth ranks University of St Francis #296 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The variation in net price across income bands reflects University of St Francis's need-based aid structure, where demonstrated financial need shapes what families pay.

Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $21,079, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $24,148; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions. For the typical graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $75,229, median federal debt of $21,079 projects to a monthly payment of about $238 under standard ten-year repayment.

In a downside earnings scenario anchored on lower-earning program clusters, four-year earnings of $49,688 would shift the real affordability picture — a pattern worth exploring at the program level rather than the institutional average. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $75,229, placing University of St Francis in the 75.0 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $11,907 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing University of St Francis in the 88.6 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks University of St Francis #218 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That median earnings figure runs above the $57,042 median at comparable institutions, reflecting the university's concentration in health and applied professional fields that carry strong labor-market demand in the greater Chicago region.

The earnings pattern at University of St Francis is anchored by its Health program family, which drives much of the institution's graduate earnings profile. Nursing is the standout program by aggregate return — combining a cohort of 127 graduates with median 4-year earnings of $87,383, and Azimuth ranks it #197 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions [per the program-ranking methodology](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/).

Health Administration follows with 67 graduates earning $79,421 at the four-year mark, and Azimuth ranks it #6 for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Biology, General and Psychology, General round out the core program lineup, each contributing meaningfully to the institution's overall earnings profile.

The program mix — led by Business at 17% of graduates, followed by Education at 4% — reflects University of St Francis's focus on career-aligned fields where graduates move directly into stable, well-compensated roles in IL's labor market.