Information Science/Studies at Rasmussen University-Illinois

Rasmussen University-Illinois produces Information Science graduates who earn $64,329 their first year out—solidly above both the national median ($58,651) and Illinois median ($60,468) for this degree. At 60th percentile statewide, these graduates are outearning programs at UIC and Bradley, though nowhere near Northwestern's elite-level outcomes. The debt load of $22,632 is exactly the state median, creating a comfortable 0.35 debt-to-earnings ratio that should be manageable on an entry-level tech salary.

The real caveat here is sample size: with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, these numbers could swing significantly year to year. The school also serves a predominantly Pell-eligible population (63%), which adds context—this isn't a selective program, yet graduates are achieving middle-of-the-pack professional outcomes. For families considering lower-cost alternatives to traditional four-year programs, that's meaningful data.

For parents, the tradeoff is clear: You're not paying for prestige or elite networking, but your child graduates with reasonable debt and appears positioned for jobs that pay better than typical bachelor's degrees. Just recognize that these numbers come from a very small cohort, so there's more uncertainty than usual about whether future classes will replicate these results.