Human Services at Rasmussen University-Illinois

The concerning pattern here isn't the starting salary—at $33,870, Rasmussen's Human Services graduates initially earn above the national median and match Illinois' state median. The red flag is what happens next: earnings drop 11% by year four, falling to $30,107. In a field where experience typically builds value, this backward trajectory suggests either job instability or graduates moving into lower-paying roles over time.

The debt picture adds weight to these concerns. At $26,882, graduates carry substantially more debt than the national median of $20,440, creating a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.79 that stretches thin for social services work. With 63% of students receiving Pell grants, many families here are counting on this degree to improve financial circumstances, not create years of debt repayment on declining incomes.

The data comes from a small sample—fewer than 30 graduates—which means these numbers could shift significantly with more data. But taken at face value, they suggest graduates face an uphill climb: higher debt than most similar programs nationwide, earnings that start modest and trend downward, all in a field known for demanding work at modest pay. For families banking on this associate's degree to open doors in human services, the financial math looks challenging even before considering the declining earnings pattern.