Business Administration, Management and Operations at Loyola University Chicago

An associate's degree from a private university like Loyola typically costs more than the community college alternative, and that pattern shows up here in the estimated debt. Similar programs at this institutional level suggest around $24,000 in loans—nearly double what students typically borrow for this credential in Illinois ($12,500) and significantly above the national median of $14,000. Meanwhile, comparable business programs in Illinois produce first-year earnings around $44,000, which is respectable and notably higher than the national median of $34,000.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.55 isn't alarming, but it reflects a cost structure better suited to a bachelor's degree than an associate's. Community colleges like Harper or College of DuPage graduate business students who earn similar or better salaries while borrowing half as much. For a two-year credential, that difference matters—you're paying private university prices for a degree that the job market treats the same way regardless of where it came from.

If your child is already enrolled at Loyola for a bachelor's program and picking up this associate's along the way, the math changes. But as a standalone credential, this represents an expensive path to earnings that other Illinois schools deliver more affordably. The uncertainty around these estimates makes the premium even harder to justify without knowing this specific program's actual track record.