Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies at University of Illinois Chicago

At just under $20,000 in debt and starting salaries above $33,000, UIC's Ethnic Studies program delivers better-than-average outcomes for students interested in this field. The debt burden sits well below both the national median ($23,000) and state median ($25,201), while earnings land in the 60th percentile among Illinois programs—meaning graduates out-earn peers at most other state schools. The 0.58 debt-to-earnings ratio is manageable, requiring roughly seven months of gross income to cover.

The earnings trajectory tells a familiar story for humanities and social science degrees: modest growth from $33,366 to $35,261 over four years. This isn't a path to rapid wealth accumulation, but it's important context that half of UIC students receive Pell grants—for first-generation and lower-income students, these outcomes represent meaningful economic mobility without crushing debt. The program actually outperforms DePaul's offering by a significant margin ($35,261 vs. $18,029 at four years) despite similar accessibility.

For families weighing this choice: the financial risk is contained. Your child won't graduate with debt that dominates their early career, and they'll earn slightly more than typical graduates in this field. The real question is whether they're prepared for the earnings ceiling—these degrees often lead to nonprofit, education, or public sector work where passion matters as much as paycheck.