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Programs & majors brief

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# Western Illinois University Majors & Programs

Updated October 1, 2026

[Overview](/school/western-illinois-university/)[Cost & aid](/school/western-illinois-university/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/western-illinois-university/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/western-illinois-university/admissions/)Majors[Similar schools](/school/western-illinois-university/similar/)

**On this page**+

## Which majors earn the most at Western Illinois University?

At Western Illinois University, four-year earnings differ sharply across fields, so program choice matters when reading return. Computer and Information Sciences has median earnings of $92,824 four years after completion, alongside 18 degrees awarded.

Nursing follows at $86,694 with 28 degrees awarded. These are the higher-earning fields in this selection.

The picture is more moderate elsewhere. Business Administration and Management records median earnings of $70,021 four years after completion and 73 degrees awarded, whereas Psychology records $44,683 with 70 degrees awarded.

The contrast shows that the university’s larger fields do not carry the same earnings pattern.

### Major mix · each dot ≈ 1% of completions

Share of reported completions in the bachelor’s programs included here. Each dot represents approximately 1% of those completions. Counts are credentials, not unique students; excluded programs are not zero activity.

-   Homeland security**213 · 17.9%**
-   Business**180 · 15.1%**
-   Liberal arts**131 · 11.0%**
-   Health professions**76 · 6.4%**
-   Communication**71 · 6.0%**
-   Other**522 · 43.8%**

Find a field

Sort programsLargest programsHighest four-year earningsBest national field rankProgram name

41 of 41 programs shown

Four-year earnings · first six matching programs

**Computer and Information Sciences, General 18 degrees awarded**
$92,824

**Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 28 degrees awarded**
$86,694

**Construction Management 14 degrees awarded**
$85,974

**Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General 19 degrees awarded**
$75,922

**Accounting and Related Services 37 degrees awarded**
$71,059

**Human Resources Management and Services 18 degrees awarded**
$70,157

Each bar is a field’s median. Program size counts degrees awarded, not unique people or the earnings sample.

Compare all matching programs

Reported bachelor’s programs · earnings, program size and field ranks

| Program | Degrees awarded | 4-yr earnings | Field rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General small degree count | 18 | $92,824 | — |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 28 | $86,694 | — |
| Construction Management small degree count | 14 | $85,974 | — |
| Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General small degree count | 19 | $75,922 | — |
| Accounting and Related Services | 37 | $71,059 | — |
| Human Resources Management and Services small degree count | 18 | $70,157 | — |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 73 | $70,021 | — |
| Finance and Financial Management Services small degree count | 19 | $69,716 | — |
| Fire Protection small degree count | 14 | $68,753 | — |
| Marketing small degree count | 19 | $68,306 | — |
| Chemistry small degree count | 13 | $68,249 | — |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 199 | $63,125 | — |
| Agriculture, General | 64 | $58,333 | — |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services small degree count | 15 | $56,771 | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 131 | $55,944 | — |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services small degree count | 6 | $54,394 | — |
| Social Work | 22 | $54,063 | — |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 30 | $53,576 | — |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services small degree count | 6 | $53,453 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas small degree count | 12 | $51,255 | — |
| Communication and Media Studies | 44 | $51,203 | — |
| Political Science and Government | 21 | $50,963 | — |
| Biology, General | 42 | $50,855 | — |
| Sociology small degree count | 12 | $50,080 | — |
| History small degree count | 18 | $47,084 | — |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management | 30 | $46,363 | — |
| Special Education and Teaching small degree count | 6 | $45,395 | — |
| Psychology, General | 70 | $44,683 | — |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 45 | $43,279 | — |
| English Language and Literature, General small degree count | 11 | $41,984 | — |
| Music small degree count | 19 | $39,609 | — |
| Fine and Studio Arts small degree count | 13 | $35,703 | — |
| Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other | 27 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Mechanical Engineering small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Civil Engineering small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Mathematics small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Anthropology small degree count | 13 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Economics small degree count | 5 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Visual and Performing Arts, Other small degree count | 10 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | 20 | Too few graduates to report | — |
| Public Health small degree count | 7 | Too few graduates to report | — |

[Program data and definitions](#page-sources) · [How to evaluate program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## What are the largest programs at Western Illinois University?

Ten largest programs by degrees awarded

**Criminal Justice and Corrections**
199

**Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities**
131

**Business Administration, Management and Operations**
73

**Psychology, General**
70

**Agriculture, General**
64

**Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods**
45

**Communication and Media Studies**
44

**Biology, General**
42

**Accounting and Related Services**
37

**Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Facilities Management**
30

Counts describe degrees awarded in the reporting period, not current enrollment. [Program data and definitions](#page-sources)

## How do Western Illinois University majors rank nationally?

National program ranks are not reported for this school.

[How Azimuth compares programs across colleges](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)

## Further analysis

Azimuth's program pages score bachelor's fields on four-year earnings among completers, debt load and cohort size, not reputation. Western Illinois University publishes earnings data for 32 bachelor's programs, and the results differ widely by field.

The largest share of degrees awarded sits in Security & Protective Services, at 17.8%. Business accounts for 15.1%, and Liberal Arts & General Studies for 11.0%.

Criminal Justice is the biggest single program, with 199 degrees awarded a year and median earnings of $63,125 four years after completion. The highest-earning program is Computer and Information Sciences, where graduates earn $92,824 from 18 degrees awarded a year.

## Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/).

Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/).