International Business at University of St Francis

A debt-to-earnings ratio under 0.5 suggests this program delivers manageable financial outcomes, though the caveat is significant: both the $52,424 first-year salary and $25,000 debt burden are estimates drawn from comparable Illinois programs, not confirmed data from St. Francis graduates themselves. Similar international business programs across Illinois cluster tightly in the low-to-mid $50Ks for starting pay, which tracks with the national median of $49,890. The debt estimate aligns closely with both state and national norms for this degree.

What's encouraging is that peer programs suggest earnings at or above the national average, making the debt load—roughly six months of gross pay—reasonable by today's standards. A 37% Pell grant population indicates St. Francis serves many first-generation and lower-income students who may particularly benefit from career-oriented business training, though smaller graduate cohorts (hence the suppressed data) mean less institutional track record to evaluate.

The practical reality: you're investing in a program with solid projected fundamentals but limited visibility into actual outcomes. If your student thrives in smaller environments and the school's career services can demonstrate concrete employer connections in international business, the estimated numbers suggest a worthwhile investment. But acknowledge you're placing some faith in how well St. Francis's specific program performs relative to its Illinois peers.