Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions at Aurora University

Aurora University graduates in this field earn substantially more than the national median—$41,856 versus $35,966—landing them in the 90th percentile nationally. That's noteworthy performance, though the small graduating class (under 30 students) means a handful of high earners could be skewing these numbers upward. Within Illinois, the picture is more modest: Aurora's graduates sit around the 60th percentile, earning about $4,000 more than the state median. The debt burden of $23,750 is slightly below both state and national averages, yielding a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57.

What's particularly interesting here is that Aurora's graduates appear to outperform those from University of Illinois Chicago by roughly $8,300 in first-year earnings, despite Aurora being a less selective institution. This could reflect differences in career pathways, clinical placements, or which therapeutic specialties students pursue. However, the small sample size is a real limitation—you're looking at data that could swing significantly year to year.

For families considering this program, the fundamentals look solid: graduates enter the workforce with modest debt and above-average earnings for the field. Just recognize that these specific numbers might not hold steady as class composition changes. If your student has a defined career path in rehabilitation services and Aurora's clinical partnerships align with those goals, the early returns suggest reasonable value.