Natural Resources Conservation and Research at Northeastern Illinois University

With only a few dozen graduates, treat these numbers as a preliminary sketch rather than a definitive picture. That said, the data suggests Northeastern Illinois's Natural Resources Conservation program launches students into entry-level earnings that trail both national and state medians by about $3,000-$3,500 annually. At $30,490, graduates are earning roughly in the 40th percentile among Illinois programs—mid-pack for the state but below national norms.

The debt load of $20,927 is actually lower than typical for this field, creating a manageable 0.69 debt-to-earnings ratio. That means graduates owe less than nine months of salary, which is reasonable for a bachelor's degree. The challenge isn't crushing debt; it's that the starting salary itself is modest. Compare this to Northern Illinois University's program, where graduates earn nearly $6,000 more annually—a meaningful difference when you're living in the Chicago area.

For families drawn to Northeastern Illinois's accessibility (70% admission rate, serving predominantly working-class students), this program could work if your child is passionate about conservation and understands they're entering a field with modest early compensation. Just recognize you're paying tuition costs similar to other state programs while getting below-average earnings outcomes. If financial return matters most, the numbers suggest looking at programs like Northern Illinois or UIUC that show stronger graduate earnings.