Physics at Lewis University

A debt-to-earnings ratio below 0.5 typically signals manageable student loans, and that's what similar physics bachelor's programs suggest here—around $23,000 in debt against first-year earnings near $48,000. However, those Illinois-specific benchmarks tell a more complicated story. Comparable physics programs in the state produce median earnings of $51,000, about $3,300 higher than what national peer programs suggest for Lewis, while debt levels remain similar. That gap matters when you're calculating how quickly your child can pay down loans.

The real challenge with physics at Lewis is that we're working entirely from estimates—the program is small enough that the Department of Education can't publish actual graduate outcomes. What we know from other private universities in Illinois is that this debt load is typical, but the earnings picture depends heavily on whether graduates pursue physics-specific careers, continue to graduate school, or pivot to related fields like engineering or data science. The national median for physics bachelor's programs sits right at that $47,670 figure, so peer programs nationally aren't showing dramatically different results.

Your takeaway: The estimated numbers suggest reasonable debt relative to earnings, but the lack of actual data means you're betting on Lewis replicating what happens at comparable programs elsewhere. If your child is serious about physics, look closely at graduate school placement rates and industry connections—those factors will matter more than first-year earnings for this major.