Legal Support Services at Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College

A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.65 looks manageable on paper, but there's a troubling pattern here that deserves scrutiny. While similar programs in Illinois suggest first-year earnings around $43,000, this program's actual reported earnings four years out drop to $36,821—a decline when graduates should be advancing. That backward trajectory, combined with an estimated $27,876 in debt (higher than the state median of $20,368 for legal support programs), creates a tighter financial picture than the initial numbers suggest.

The earnings decline is particularly concerning because it's based on actual data from this school's graduates, not estimates. Meanwhile, comparable programs at Southwestern Illinois College achieve similar first-year outcomes with significantly less debt burden. For a family where 72% of students need Pell grants, that debt difference matters enormously when monthly loan payments begin.

The practical question is whether you're comfortable with your child taking on above-average debt for a program whose graduates appear to lose ground financially over time rather than gain it. The legal support field itself is viable—the national data confirms that—but this specific program's outcomes suggest graduates struggle to translate their credential into career progression. Unless the school can explain why their four-year numbers lag behind the first year, there are clearer paths into this field.