Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas at Roosevelt University

Based on comparable Illinois programs, Roosevelt's teacher education pathway lands squarely in the middle for both earnings and debt—around $44,600 in first-year income against $27,000 borrowed. That 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio aligns with the national median and looks manageable for a teaching career, though it's worth noting that similar Illinois programs at schools like Northeastern Illinois and Southern Illinois-Carbondale show first-year earnings $10,000-$19,000 higher.

The challenge with Roosevelt's outcomes being estimated rather than reported is that you can't see how this specific program compares to its strongest in-state competitors. Teaching salaries in Illinois vary dramatically by district—Chicago Public Schools pays differently than suburban or downstate districts—and where graduates actually land matters enormously. The debt level appears typical for a private university serving a population where nearly half receive Pell grants, but without program-specific placement data, you're betting on whether Roosevelt's Chicago location translates into access to better-paying districts.

The practical reality: if your child is committed to teaching in Illinois, these estimates suggest a financially viable path, but not necessarily the most advantageous one. Before committing, directly ask Roosevelt's education department where their recent graduates are teaching and what their actual starting salaries look like—especially compared to the state programs showing stronger outcomes in the data.