Human Resources Management and Services at Benedictine University

Benedictine University's HR Management graduates earn $83,475 in their first year—60% more than the typical graduate from this program and nearly matching Northwestern's outcomes at a fraction of the cost. Among Illinois HR programs, this places Benedictine at the very top of the field, tied with Northwestern at the 95th percentile statewide. The debt load of $31,872 is manageable relative to these strong initial earnings, translating to a debt-to-earnings ratio of just 0.38.

The significant caveat here is the earnings trajectory: median pay drops to $70,999 by year four, a 15% decline that's unusual for this career path. This could reflect career transitions, geographic moves, or the moderate sample size creating statistical noise. Even with this dip, graduates still earn substantially more than peers from other Illinois programs at the same career stage.

For families evaluating this program, the initial earning power is exceptional and suggests strong employer demand for Benedictine's HR graduates in the Chicago market. The debt level is reasonable, giving graduates financial flexibility even if their earnings follow the downward trend seen in the data. Just understand you're paying for strong early outcomes, not necessarily long-term earnings growth.