Accounting at College of DuPage

College of DuPage's accounting associate program produces first-year earnings of $47,775—nearly $11,000 above the national median and $2,000 above Illinois's state median. That's genuinely impressive performance, particularly when you consider that graduates leave with just $17,284 in debt. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.36 means students can reasonably expect to pay off their loans within months, not years, making this one of the more manageable educational investments you'll find at the associate level.

The catch is sample size—fewer than 30 graduates reported data, which means these numbers could shift with a larger cohort. Still, the fundamentals make sense: College of DuPage is a well-established community college feeding into Chicago's substantial accounting market, where entry-level bookkeeping and accounting clerk positions are abundant. The 60th percentile ranking among Illinois programs suggests solid but not exceptional placement compared to other in-state options, though the lower debt load gives it an edge over competitors.

For families looking at community college pathways, this program hits the right balance. Graduates enter the workforce with marketable skills, manageable debt, and earnings that immediately exceed living wage thresholds in the Chicago suburbs. Just be aware that the small sample means your child's outcomes could vary more than usual from these medians.