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

Similar programs across Illinois suggest first-year earnings around $42,000 with debt near $29,000—figures that put SIUE roughly in line with typical liberal arts outcomes statewide but substantially behind what graduates from DePaul or Saint Xavier see. The 0.68 debt-to-earnings ratio falls into reasonable territory, meaning graduates would dedicate about two-thirds of their first year's income to covering what they borrowed. For context, the national median for this credential sits at $36,340, so Illinois liberal arts programs generally perform somewhat better than the national average.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates drawn from peer programs since SIUE's actual graduate outcomes aren't publicly reported. That means we can't know whether SIUE's specific approach—its curriculum, career services, or local employer connections—produces better or worse results than the state average. The school's 97% admission rate and modest test scores suggest it serves a broad student population, which often correlates with wider outcome variation than selective institutions show.

For parents, this comes down to whether a general liberal arts degree justifies nearly $30,000 in debt when the career path remains undefined. If your student has clear plans for graduate school, teaching credentials, or specific employer connections, the foundation makes sense. Without that direction, comparable programs at Chicago State or Northeastern Illinois show similar earnings with potentially different debt loads worth investigating.