Marketing at Rasmussen University-Illinois

Rasmussen's marketing graduates start behind but catch up significantly—first-year earnings of $41,377 lag both state and national medians, but by year four they jump to $58,760, a 42% increase that closes most of the gap. The problem is the price: at $37,530 in debt, students are borrowing 55% more than the Illinois median for marketing programs, placing this in the bottom 5% nationally for debt burden. That's a steep premium to pay for what amounts to middle-of-the-pack outcomes in Illinois (40th percentile).

The trajectory matters here. Unlike programs where earnings plateau, these graduates see real income growth in their early career years. However, even after that strong growth, they're still earning less than what graduates from Illinois State or Northern Illinois make right out of the gate. With 63% of students receiving Pell grants, many families are taking on substantial debt for a program that delivers modest returns compared to state alternatives.

The math is workable—a 0.91 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't catastrophic—but there's little evidence this particular program justifies its higher cost. If your child has admission offers from public Illinois universities, those represent significantly better value. Consider Rasmussen only if the flexibility of their format (many campuses offer accelerated or online options) is essential and worth paying roughly $13,000 extra in debt for similar career outcomes.