How much money do Northern Illinois University graduates make and which majors earn the most upon graduating? Six years after enrolling, alumni who are working have average earnings of $37,400 per year. After ten years, graduates earn $47,600 on average.
In terms of specific areas of study, the following is a ranking of degree programs by the median first-year starting salaries for Northern Illinois graduates.
The undergraduate degree which initially pays the highest is Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering with a median starting salary of $64,100 followed by Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing paying $62,600 and Mechanical Engineering graduates who have a median starting income of $59,900 .
Looking at post-graduate and doctorate students, those completing the Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) program rank first with a median initial income of $89,500 followed by Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) at $86,400 and Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) who earn $66,600 .
Note about salary data: First year earnings data are aggregated by the US Department of Education and analyzes IRS reported income for Northern Illinois University graduates who received federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans. Not all graduates or fields of study are represented as data for some degree programs are omitted for privacy purposes.
| Major | Earnings |
|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degree) | $89,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degree) | $86,400 |
| Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degree) | $66,600 |
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $64,100 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $62,600 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $61,700 |
| Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $59,900 |
| Industrial Engineering (Bachelor’s Degree) | $58,600 |
| Computer Science (Bachelor’s Degree) | $57,400 |
| Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degree) | $57,400 |
| Engineering Technology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $55,200 |
| Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $54,900 |
| Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $54,700 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degree) | $53,200 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Master's Degree) | $49,700 |
| Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degree) | $48,900 |
| Public Administration (Master's Degree) | $48,400 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $48,000 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor’s Degree) | $47,900 |
| Law (First Professional Degree) | $45,200 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services (Master's Degree) | $45,000 |
| Economics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $44,300 |
| Special Education and Teaching (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,700 |
| Mathematics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,700 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $41,500 |
| Marketing (Bachelor’s Degree) | $40,900 |
| Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degree) | $39,300 |
| Apparel and Textiles (Bachelor’s Degree) | $38,000 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Master's Degree) | $37,800 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Master's Degree) | $37,100 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,700 |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,500 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor’s Degree) | $35,000 |
| Political Science and Government (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,300 |
| Chemistry (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,100 |
| Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor’s Degree) | $34,000 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,600 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor’s Degree) | $31,300 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences Studies and Humanities (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,900 |
| History (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,700 |
| Biology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $30,300 |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,100 |
| Sociology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,000 |
| Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $29,000 |
| English Language and Literature (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,900 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,700 |
| Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,100 |
| Psychology (Bachelor’s Degree) | $28,000 |
| Human Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $25,700 |
| Music (Master's Degree) | $24,900 |
| Journalism (Bachelor’s Degree) | $24,500 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,800 |
| Fine and Studio Arts (Master's Degree) | $23,100 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Bachelor’s Degree) | $23,100 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor’s Degree) | $20,200 |
Primary data source, U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=147703 IPEDS survey and College Scorecard data for Northern Illinois University.