Business/Commerce at DeVry University-Illinois

DeVry University-Illinois's business program graduates earn $57,020 in their first year—placing them in the 94th percentile nationally and 80th percentile among Illinois business programs. This is genuinely impressive: graduates out-earn not just the national median ($47,506) by nearly $10,000, but also exceed every other Illinois business program listed, including Trinity International and Lake Forest College. The earnings performance is real and substantial.

The tradeoff is debt. At $47,236, graduates carry nearly double the national median ($26,000) for business degrees and significantly more than the Illinois median ($26,845). However, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.83 means graduates earn enough in their first year to justify the borrowing—less than a year's salary in debt is manageable. The real concern is the flat earnings trajectory: four years out, graduates earn essentially the same amount ($56,664), suggesting limited advancement opportunity or career mobility.

For families weighing this program, the math works if your student needs the flexibility of DeVry's format and can leverage that initial earning power to pay down debt quickly. The strong early earnings mitigate the premium price, but the lack of growth means this is less about building toward executive roles and more about accessing solid middle-management positions right away. If your child can graduate with less debt elsewhere while still landing decent work, that may offer more long-term flexibility.