Information Science/Studies at Benedictine University

Information Science programs in Illinois cluster in a relatively narrow earnings band, and based on comparable programs in the state, Benedictine appears positioned right in the middle—similar programs suggest first-year earnings around $60,500. That's essentially identical to the national median for this credential, though well below what Northwestern's computer science-adjacent programs produce. With estimated debt around $25,000, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.41 suggests graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in under six months of gross salary, which is favorable compared to many bachelor's programs.

The challenge is that we're working entirely with estimates here—neither earnings nor debt figures are reported for Benedictine's actual graduates in this program. The state median debt estimate comes from just three similar Illinois institutions, and earnings from five programs statewide. What this tells us is that if Benedictine's program performs like its peers, the financial picture looks reasonable. But "if" is doing heavy lifting when you're comparing a selective access institution serving significant numbers of Pell grant recipients to a mix that includes schools with very different profiles.

For parents comfortable with uncertainty, the estimated numbers suggest manageable debt for decent starting salaries in information roles. But you're essentially betting that Benedictine's outcomes mirror the state average rather than falling toward the lower end, and without actual graduate data, there's no way to verify that assumption.