Location: River Forest, IL•In-State Tuition: $37,844•Admission Rate: 80%•Avg SAT: 1022
Est. Earnings (1yr)
$52,424
Est. from IL median (4 programs)
Est. Median Debt
$25,000
Est. from national median (33 programs)

Analysis

Based on comparable International Business programs in Illinois, Dominican graduates can expect first-year earnings around $52,400—squarely in the middle of the state pack and slightly above the national median. With estimated debt of $25,000, you're looking at a debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5, meaning your child would owe less than half their first-year salary. That's manageable territory, especially compared to programs that regularly saddle graduates with debt exceeding their annual income.

The challenge here is uncertainty. Dominican's International Business cohort is small enough that the Department of Education can't report actual outcomes, so these figures come from peer programs across Illinois and nationally. What we do know is that nearby Loyola produces graduates earning about $3,000 more in their first year, while Dominican's admission profile (80% acceptance rate, average SAT of 1022, nearly half of students on Pell grants) suggests it serves a different population—one where access and support may matter as much as starting salary.

For a family weighing this investment, the estimated numbers point to reasonable, not exceptional, returns. The debt load appears sustainable if those earnings estimates hold true. But with no school-specific data available, you're betting on Dominican's career services, Chicago-area connections, and business program quality matching what similar Illinois schools deliver—a gamble that's harder to evaluate without concrete evidence.

Where Dominican University Stands

Earnings vs. debt across all international business bachelors's programs nationally

Dominican University (estimated ±10%)Other international business programs

Dashed lines show national medians. Upper-left = best value.

Compare to Similar Programs in Illinois

International Business bachelors's programs at peer institutions in Illinois (16 total in state)

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SchoolIn-State TuitionEarnings (1yr)*Earnings (4yr)Median Debt*Debt/Earnings
Dominican UniversityRiver Forest$37,844$52,424*—$25,000*—
Loyola University ChicagoChicago$51,716$55,496*—$25,000*0.45
Illinois State UniversityNormal$16,021$52,491*$60,942$19,059*0.36
Bradley UniversityPeoria$39,680$52,357*——*—
Augustana CollegeRock Island$49,834$37,350*—$25,500*0.68
National Median—$49,890*—$23,472*0.47
* Estimated from similar programs

Career Paths

Occupations commonly associated with international business graduates

Chief Executives

Determine and formulate policies and provide overall direction of companies or private and public sector organizations within guidelines set up by a board of directors or similar governing body. Plan, direct, or coordinate operational activities at the highest level of management with the help of subordinate executives and staff managers.

$105,350/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Chief Sustainability Officers

Communicate and coordinate with management, shareholders, customers, and employees to address sustainability issues. Enact or oversee a corporate sustainability strategy.

$105,350/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

General and Operations Managers

Plan, direct, or coordinate the operations of public or private sector organizations, overseeing multiple departments or locations. Duties and responsibilities include formulating policies, managing daily operations, and planning the use of materials and human resources, but are too diverse and general in nature to be classified in any one functional area of management or administration, such as personnel, purchasing, or administrative services. Usually manage through subordinate supervisors. Excludes First-Line Supervisors.

$105,350/yrJobs growth:Bachelor's degree

Business Teachers, Postsecondary

Teach courses in business administration and management, such as accounting, finance, human resources, labor and industrial relations, marketing, and operations research. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

$83,980/yrJobs growth:

Business Operations Specialists, All Other

All business operations specialists not listed separately.

Business Continuity Planners

Develop, maintain, or implement business continuity and disaster recovery strategies and solutions, including risk assessments, business impact analyses, strategy selection, and documentation of business continuity and disaster recovery procedures. Plan, conduct, and debrief regular mock-disaster exercises to test the adequacy of existing plans and strategies, updating procedures and plans regularly. Act as a coordinator for continuity efforts after a disruption event.

Sustainability Specialists

Address organizational sustainability issues, such as waste stream management, green building practices, and green procurement plans.

Online Merchants

Conduct retail activities of businesses operating exclusively online. May perform duties such as preparing business strategies, buying merchandise, managing inventory, implementing marketing activities, fulfilling and shipping online orders, and balancing financial records.

Security Management Specialists

Conduct security assessments for organizations, and design security systems and processes. May specialize in areas such as physical security or the safety of employees and facilities.

About This Data

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (October 2025 release)

Population: Graduates who received federal financial aid (Title IV grants or loans). At Dominican University, approximately 49% of students receive Pell grants. Students who did not receive federal aid are not included in these figures.

Earnings: Median earnings from IRS W-2 data for graduates who are employed and not enrolled in further education, measured 1 year after completion. Earnings are pre-tax and include wages, salaries, and self-employment income.

Debt: Median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation. Does not include private loans or Parent PLUS loans borrowed on behalf of students.

Estimated Earnings: Actual earnings data is not available for this program (typically due to privacy thresholds when fewer than 30 graduates reported earnings). The estimate shown is based on the median of 4 similar programs in IL. Actual outcomes may vary.