Accounting at University of St Francis

The debt picture here looks surprisingly favorable—$20,500 is well below both the state median ($23,452) and the national median ($25,000) for accounting bachelor's programs. That matters because even with estimated first-year earnings around $54,700 (based on comparable Illinois accounting programs), the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.37 suggests graduates should be able to manage their loan burden. The challenge is that similar accounting programs in Illinois vary dramatically in outcomes: the top performers like U of I and DePaul are placing graduates at $70,000+, while the state median sits closer to this program's expected range.

What's worth noting is that the $54,700 estimate aligns almost perfectly with the national median for accounting programs, suggesting typical rather than exceptional career launch prospects. For a field where professional credentials (CPA licensure) often matter more than institutional prestige, this could work fine—but it also means University of St Francis graduates are likely competing in a crowded middle tier of the Illinois accounting job market. The relatively low debt burden is the program's strongest selling point, potentially leaving graduates with more financial flexibility during the expensive CPA exam preparation period.

Given the lack of actual outcomes data from this specific program, the safest assumption is that it performs somewhere near the Illinois median. That combination—moderate debt, moderate earnings—suggests this could work for families seeking an affordable path into accounting, but shouldn't be mistaken for the higher-earning trajectory that Illinois's elite accounting programs deliver.