U.S. median for this major: $66,808.
College Scorecard field of study; 78 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 40% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,214.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $51,889. College Scorecard.
Columbia College Chicago Marketing: pay against the field, and payback
Same major, other colleges
Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.
Marketing nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Columbia College Chicago's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $20,924 | $90,810 | 3.0 years |
| $30–48k | $21,423 | $92,976 | 3.1 years |
| $48–75k | $25,590 | $111,061 | 3.7 years |
| $75–110k | $31,677 | $137,478 | 4.6 years |
| $110k+ | $36,436 | $158,132 | 5.3 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (39% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Marketing graduates 4 years after graduating ($65,686) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $29,889 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.
Marketing at Illinois colleges
Every Illinois college we cover that reports Marketing graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $90,744 | $20,000 | $14,355 | 85% |
| 2 | Loyola University Chicago | $86,662 | $25,000 | $36,079 | 73% |
| 3 | DePaul University | $78,164 | $25,000 | $30,902 | 68% |
| 4 | Illinois State University | $77,956 | $20,500 | $19,398 | 65% |
| 5 | Northern Illinois University | $76,373 | $23,875 | $13,391 | 49% |
| 6 | Bradley University | $76,255 | $24,017 | $22,719 | 76% |
| 7 | Elmhurst University | $72,286 | $19,000 | $24,185 | 70% |
| 8 | Millikin University | $71,399 | — | $21,989 | 55% |
| 9 | University of Illinois Chicago | $71,293 | $18,750 | $10,974 | 62% |
| 10 | North Central College | $71,123 | $22,312 | $21,044 | 64% |
| 11 | Benedictine University | $70,129 | $20,201 | $22,313 | 50% |
| 12 | Northeastern Illinois University | $69,011 | $15,000 | $14,109 | 22% |
| 13 | Western Illinois University | $68,306 | $29,592 | $12,937 | 45% |
| 14 | Lewis University | $65,895 | $20,000 | $17,028 | 67% |
| 15 | McKendree University | $65,696 | $25,949 | $24,717 | 53% |
| 16 | Columbia College Chicago | $65,686 | $26,250 | $26,598 | 52% |
| 17 | Saint Xavier University | $65,330 | $26,047 | $10,970 | 57% |
| 18 | Aurora University | $64,813 | $22,900 | $18,838 | 60% |
| 19 | Eastern Illinois University | $62,994 | $24,250 | $12,786 | 47% |
| 20 | Trinity Christian College | $62,334 | — | $19,125 | 58% |
| 21 | University of St Francis | $61,119 | $27,000 | $13,006 | 67% |
| 22 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $58,934 | $25,000 | $13,297 | 62% |
| 23 | Roosevelt University | $57,573 | $23,869 | $20,194 | 35% |
| 24 | Olivet Nazarene University | $56,787 | $27,000 | $20,729 | 61% |
11 more Illinois colleges offer Marketing but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Marketing graduates
Marketing specialist
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Sales Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +4.5% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Web and Digital Interface Designers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at Columbia College Chicago, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Columbia College Chicago
- Acceptance rate: 89% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 52% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $42,195
- Full cost breakdown · all 26 majors · overview
Related majors at Columbia College Chicago
- Business Administration$56,482
Columbia College Chicago Marketing questions
How much do Columbia College Chicago Marketing graduates earn?
Marketing graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn a median $65,686 four years after graduating and $36,386 one year after. The U.S. median for Marketing graduates across 497 colleges is $66,808.
How much debt do Columbia College Chicago Marketing graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Marketing graduates of Columbia College Chicago is $26,250, about 40% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,214.
Is Columbia College Chicago a good school for Marketing in Illinois?
On pay, Marketing graduates of Columbia College Chicago earn $65,686 four years out, $2,972 below the median for the same major across 24 Illinois colleges ($68,658) and $1,122 below the U.S. median ($66,808). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Columbia College Chicago rank for Marketing in Illinois?
Of 24 Illinois colleges reporting Marketing graduate earnings, Columbia College Chicago ranks 16th. The highest is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at $90,744.
What jobs do Marketing graduates get?
A common career is marketing specialist, with a median wage of $80,400 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $78,760 nationally. Others include sales managers and web and digital interface designers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Columbia College Chicago Marketing: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/columbia-college-chicago/majors/marketing (College Scorecard and BLS data).