Health and Medical Administrative Services at DeVry University-Illinois

DeVry University-Illinois delivers strong initial earnings for this health administration certificate, with graduates earning $31,841 in their first year—ranking in the 82nd percentile nationally and exactly matching the Illinois state median. However, the program comes with a significant premium price tag that demands scrutiny. At $19,753 in median debt, students pay nearly double the national average ($10,372) and 50% more than the typical Illinois program ($13,143), though the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62 remains manageable.

The concerning trend is the negative earnings trajectory—graduates actually earn less four years out ($29,680) than in their first year, representing a 7% decline when most careers show growth. This suggests limited advancement opportunities in the field. While DeVry's program performs well initially compared to national peers, it falls short of top Illinois options like College of DuPage ($52,904) and several other community colleges that deliver similar or better outcomes at presumably lower cost.

For anxious parents, this presents a classic "premium price, solid but not exceptional results" scenario. The program works—graduates find employment at decent starting wages—but you're paying significantly more for outcomes you could likely achieve elsewhere in Illinois. Unless your child has specific reasons to choose DeVry over more affordable community college alternatives, the math doesn't strongly favor this option given the higher debt load and concerning earnings decline over time.