Agricultural Business and Management at Kishwaukee College

An agricultural associate's degree from a small Illinois community college comes with estimated first-year earnings around $37,400 and debt near $12,000—figures drawn from national peer programs since this school's graduate cohort is too small for DOE reporting. That 0.32 debt-to-earnings ratio looks manageable on paper, suggesting graduates could pay off loans in roughly four months of gross earnings if they dedicated all income to debt.

The challenge lies in Illinois' agricultural job market reality. While the national benchmark sits at $37,400, the state median for this field drops sharply to just $22,300—a $15,000 gap that's hard to ignore. This suggests either that Illinois ag businesses pay considerably less than their counterparts elsewhere, or that many graduates leave the state for better opportunities. If Kishwaukee's actual outcomes track closer to the state figures rather than national ones, that seemingly reasonable debt load becomes considerably heavier, requiring closer to seven months of gross earnings to repay.

For families with children already embedded in Illinois agriculture—whether through family operations or established connections—this program could provide credential-backed skills at a relatively low cost. For others, the wide spread between state and national earnings creates real uncertainty about whether this investment will deliver returns comparable to peer programs elsewhere, making it critical to investigate local job placement outcomes directly with the school before committing.