Business Administration, Management and Operations at City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College

In Illinois, business administration programs at the associate level show substantial variation—top performers like William Rainey Harper College report first-year earnings near $60,000, while outcomes at other community colleges cluster between $40,000 and $47,000. For Harold Washington College, where graduate samples are too small for the Department of Education to publish school-specific data, comparable Illinois programs suggest earnings around $44,000 with typical debt of $12,000.

That debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.27 aligns with what financial aid experts consider manageable—roughly three months of gross income to repay total borrowing. When peer programs across Illinois produce a fairly consistent earnings band in the low-to-mid $40,000s, the math works for students who need this credential as a stepping stone, whether into the workforce or toward a bachelor's degree. The risk here isn't crushing debt but rather whether $44,000 represents enough of a salary boost to justify two years of schooling, particularly in an expensive city like Chicago.

For families weighing this investment, the key question is trajectory. If your student plans to transfer credits toward a four-year degree, this becomes a cost-effective entry point. If they're stopping at the associate level, investigate what specific roles in Chicago pay new grads with this credential—the difference between a $40,000 administrative position and a $50,000 junior management role will matter significantly given local living costs. The modest debt load provides flexibility; the earnings potential is middling but realistic for this credential level.