Business/Commerce at Roosevelt University

Is an associate's degree in business at a Chicago university with open admissions worth taking on debt? The estimated figures suggest this program faces an uphill climb. Based on national peer programs, first-year earnings around $36,600 paired with debt near $24,500 creates a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.67—manageable on paper, but concerning when you consider that similar programs in Illinois typically produce substantially higher earnings of $43,700. That $7,000 gap matters when you're making loan payments.

The debt estimate itself, drawn from comparable Roosevelt programs, runs nearly double the national median of $13,400 for business associate's degrees. For a credential that's supposed to be an affordable pathway into the workforce, that's a significant premium. The challenge is real: if earnings match the national pattern rather than the Illinois benchmark, graduates face a tighter financial squeeze than peers at other Illinois programs.

The uncertainty here cuts both ways. Roosevelt's urban location and diverse student body (46% Pell-eligible) could translate into stronger Chicago-area networking and job placement than the estimates suggest. But without actual graduate outcomes to verify this, you're betting on potential rather than proven results. If your child is set on Roosevelt, push the admissions office hard for concrete placement data and consider whether starting at a community college—where debt loads typically run far lower—makes more sense for testing business interests.