Accounting at DePaul University

DePaul's accounting graduates earn $15,000 more than the typical Illinois accounting graduate and nearly $16,000 above the national median—placing this program in the top fifth nationally and among the top quarter in a competitive Illinois market. Starting at $69,250 and climbing to over $80,000 by year four, these graduates nearly match earnings from the state's flagship program at UIUC while paying roughly half the typical debt load of a selective public university. The 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio means students can comfortably manage their loans on a single year's salary, a position that few accounting programs achieve at this performance level.

Chicago's robust financial services and corporate sector clearly benefits DePaul graduates, but location alone doesn't explain these outcomes—the university ranks just behind Loyola and Illinois Wesleyan among private Chicago-area schools while maintaining a 74% admission rate that makes it accessible to strong but not elite students. The 16% earnings growth suggests graduates are advancing into senior accounting roles or transitioning to higher-paying corporate finance positions.

For families weighing the $24,500 debt against career prospects, the math is straightforward: this program delivers elite-level earnings outcomes without elite-level debt. The combination of strong initial placement and healthy salary progression makes this one of the clearer value propositions among Illinois accounting programs.