Marketing at Columbia College Chicago

Columbia College Chicago's marketing graduates start significantly behind—earning just $36,386 in year one, which lands them in the bottom 5% nationally and 25th percentile within Illinois. To put this in perspective, marketing graduates from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn nearly double ($69,273), while even Northern Illinois and Illinois State grads start above $51,000. The $26,250 in typical debt isn't excessive by national standards, but when your first-year earnings are this low, a 0.72 debt-to-earnings ratio creates real financial strain.

The 27% earnings jump to $46,348 by year four offers some hope, though this still leaves graduates trailing the Illinois state median of $43,320 and far below what other state schools deliver. With a 91% admission rate and nearly half the student body on Pell grants, Columbia serves students who may have fewer alternatives, but families need to understand they're paying private-school tuition (and taking on debt) for outcomes that lag behind most public universities in the state.

If your child is set on Columbia, they should know they'll be starting behind peers from other Illinois schools and will need to hustle—through internships, networking, or side projects—to compensate for the credential gap. Otherwise, exploring marketing programs at Illinois State, Northern Illinois, or even community college transfer pathways could deliver better financial returns.