Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

SIU-Carbondale's Liberal Arts program costs roughly three-quarters of a year's salary to attend, which sounds manageable—until you look at where Illinois graduates typically land. At $38,449 four years out, these earnings fall $3,600 below the state median for this degree, placing graduates in the 40th percentile among Illinois schools. That gap matters because many Illinois families choose in-state public universities expecting competitive outcomes without private school prices.

The bigger concern is the earnings trajectory: virtually flat growth from year one to year four suggests limited career momentum in a field where trajectory often matters more than starting salary. Compare this to DePaul's $84,000 or even Chicago State's $45,762, and the pattern becomes clear—location and institutional network drive outcomes in liberal arts programs. SIU performs slightly better than the national median, but that national comparison includes schools from every corner of the country. For Illinois families, the relevant benchmark is the state market.

If your student is genuinely passionate about the humanities and committed to SIU's campus environment, the debt load won't be crushing. But parents should recognize this isn't the value play it might appear to be on paper—it's a middle-tier outcome in a state with stronger options, particularly in Chicago where liberal arts graduates find more diverse employment opportunities.