Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions at DeVry University-Illinois

DeVry's clinical laboratory science program starts graduates at $70,874—well above the national median and competitive with Illinois State, which costs roughly $32,000 less in debt. The catch? This data comes from fewer than 30 graduates, so these numbers may not hold for every cohort. Still, the earnings place graduates in the 76th percentile nationally and at the state median among Illinois programs, suggesting decent earning power for this credential.

The real concern is the debt load. At $57,500, graduates here carry more than double what's typical for this program both nationally ($26,022) and in Illinois ($25,470). With a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81, graduates will dedicate a significant portion of their early-career income to loan payments—manageable, but tight. Earnings barely budge from year one to year four, which means there's limited financial relief coming through salary growth. For comparison, Northern Illinois University produces similar first-year earnings while leaving students with roughly half the debt burden.

For families considering this program, the calculus is straightforward: you're paying a premium for access at an institution that serves many Pell-eligible students (65%), but that premium doesn't translate into better outcomes than state universities. If your child can gain admission to NIU or Illinois State, those options deliver comparable earnings with far less financial strain. DeVry makes sense primarily if other doors are closed.