Psychology at National Louis University

National Louis University's psychology program carries a warning label that's hard to ignore: with fewer than 30 graduates in the sample, these numbers may not tell the full story. That said, what we can see presents a clear tradeoff. Graduates earn notably more than the national average ($35,798 versus $31,482), placing them in the 82nd percentile nationally—solid performance for a psychology bachelor's. However, that advantage shrinks considerably when looking at Illinois specifically, where this program sits at just the 60th percentile, trailing schools like Northwestern and even nearby Eastern Illinois.

The real concern is debt. At $37,170, graduates carry about $12,000 more than typical psychology majors nationwide, putting this program in the 5th percentile for debt burden—meaning 95% of psychology programs leave students with less debt. With first-year earnings barely covering the loan balance (1.04 ratio), graduates face immediate financial pressure that peers at other Illinois schools may not experience. Given that 57% of students receive Pell grants, many families here are already stretching budgets.

For an anxious parent: if your child is set on psychology at National Louis, understand they'll likely graduate with significantly more debt than necessary for similar or better outcomes available elsewhere in Illinois. The small sample size means next year's data could look different, but right now, the debt load makes this a expensive path into a field not known for high starting salaries.