Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences at Eastern Illinois University

Eastern Illinois University's Family and Consumer Sciences program creates an unusual dynamic: it performs decently against national programs but falls in the bottom quarter among Illinois schools. With first-year earnings of $33,113, graduates earn slightly above the $31,748 national median but roughly $8,000 less than the typical Illinois program in this field. That's a meaningful gap when you're choosing between in-state options—Illinois State graduates, for instance, start nearly $16,000 higher.

The positive trajectory here is the 20% earnings growth by year four, reaching $39,560, which suggests graduates are building skills that employers value over time. The $26,000 debt load is manageable, creating a first-year debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.8, which means the loan burden isn't crushing in those early years when paychecks are smaller.

If your child is set on Eastern Illinois for broader reasons—location, campus culture, or other programs—this major won't derail their financial future. But if you're comparison shopping among Illinois schools, understand that other state programs typically deliver stronger starting salaries with similar debt levels. The gap narrows as careers progress, but those first years of building savings and paying down loans matter considerably.