Public Health at Governors State University

Governors State's public health program starts modestly and then moves backward—graduates earn $36,537 in their first year but see that drop to $33,380 by year four. This declining earnings trajectory is the central concern, especially when compared to top Illinois programs like Illinois State ($59,207) or UIC ($41,585) where graduates presumably build momentum in their careers rather than lose it.

The debt load of $23,000 is manageable at face value, sitting just below both state and national medians. However, that 0.63 debt-to-earnings ratio becomes less reassuring when you factor in the negative earnings growth. A graduate earning $33,000 four years out will find even moderate debt more constraining than the ratio suggests initially. The program ranks in the 40th percentile among Illinois public health degrees—squarely middle-of-the-pack in a state with 14 options.

For a family considering this program, the question is whether Governors State's lower cost structure (serving a predominantly Pell-eligible population) justifies accepting both below-average starting salaries and declining earnings. If your student has stronger options among Illinois public health programs, those would likely provide better returns. This might work for students who need to stay local and minimize debt, but the earnings pattern suggests graduates may need to pivot or pursue additional credentials to build earning power over time.