Health and Medical Administrative Services at Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College

This program clears the modest national bar but lags behind most Illinois alternatives. While Stautzenberger's $29,130 starting salary beats the national median by about $1,300, it sits in the 40th percentile among Illinois schools—meaning 60% of comparable programs in-state deliver better outcomes. That gap becomes more concrete when you see nearby community colleges like College of DuPage producing graduates earning $52,900, nearly double what this program delivers. Even closer competitors like Harper College and Lake Land College are generating outcomes around $31,500-$33,000.

The debt load of $15,333 is manageable relative to first-year earnings (a 0.53 ratio), and earnings do inch upward to nearly $30,000 by year four. But that minimal 3% growth over four years is essentially flat when accounting for inflation, suggesting limited advancement potential in the roles these graduates enter. The program serves a predominantly low-income student body (72% receive Pell grants), and for students who need to stay local, it provides a relatively quick pathway to steady employment without overwhelming debt.

The core question: why choose this program when Illinois community colleges deliver significantly stronger earnings for similar or lower debt? Unless geographic constraints make those alternatives impractical, Illinois families should explore higher-performing in-state options first.