Concordia University-Chicago Education (Elementary / Secondary): earnings, debt & careers

Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of Concordia University-Chicago earn a median $45,532 four years after graduating ($44,618 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $23,250. That is $2,291 below the U.S. median for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates ($47,823 across 671 colleges), and ranks 27th of 35 Illinois colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$45,532

U.S. median for this major: $47,823.

College Scorecard field of study; 38 graduates with earnings reported. A small group, so treat this figure with caution

Earnings, 1 year after
$44,618

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$23,250

About 51% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $26,000.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$18,436 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $45,383. College Scorecard.

Concordia University-Chicago Education (Elementary / Secondary): pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

Concordia University-Chicago graduates$45,532
Illinois median (35 colleges)$48,127 (−$2,595)
U.S. median (671 colleges)$47,823 (−$2,291)

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.

Education (Elementary / Secondary) nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses Concordia University-Chicago's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$16,795$71,5477.3 years
$30–48k$16,397$69,8517.2 years
$48–75k$15,768$67,1726.9 years
$75–110k$20,046$85,3968.8 years
$110k+$23,907$101,84410.5 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (35% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates 4 years after graduating ($45,532) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $9,735 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.

Education (Elementary / Secondary) at Illinois colleges

Every Illinois college we cover that reports Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1University of Illinois Chicago$64,100$16,750$10,97462%
2Chicago State University$59,296$53,774$12,33515%
3Saint Xavier University$58,097$29,854$10,97057%
4University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$55,105$19,500$14,35585%
5DePaul University$54,208$27,000$30,90268%
6Loyola University Chicago$53,896$25,000$36,07973%
7Dominican University$53,810$27,000$11,74555%
8Northeastern Illinois University$52,176$15,612$14,10922%
9Elmhurst University$52,106$24,064$24,18570%
10Lewis University$51,794$26,000$17,02867%
11Knox College$50,828$27,000$24,59568%
12Northern Illinois University$50,385$25,250$13,39149%
13Trinity Christian College$49,476$27,000$19,12558%
14Illinois State University$49,240$22,500$19,39865%
15North Central College$49,224$27,000$21,04464%
16Wheaton College$48,374$25,000$26,97585%
17University of St Francis$48,353$23,878$13,00667%
18Southern Illinois University-Carbondale$48,127$21,944$13,29762%
19Augustana College$47,613$27,000$22,73673%
20Governors State University$46,895$21,500$12,32922%
21Rockford University$46,780$27,000$22,43647%
22Aurora University$46,609$24,197$18,83860%
23Bradley University$46,460$27,000$22,71976%
24National Louis University$46,398$42,172$12,64130%
25Judson University$45,830—$18,55860%
26Millikin University$45,797$27,340$21,98955%
27Concordia University-Chicago$45,532$23,250$18,43636%
28Olivet Nazarene University$45,455$26,951$20,72961%
29Eureka College$44,805$27,000$17,34942%
30Benedictine University$44,659$26,000$22,31350%
31Southern Illinois University Edwardsville$43,916$26,250$14,88957%
32Western Illinois University$43,279$25,133$12,93745%
33Eastern Illinois University$43,190$22,075$12,78647%
34Greenville University$42,180$22,103$19,53340%
35Monmouth College$42,058—$17,13365%

10 more Illinois colleges offer Education (Elementary / Secondary) but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates

Elementary school teacher

Chicago area$78,390
Illinois$75,320
U.S.$63,970

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.4% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education

Chicago area$98,970
Illinois$79,990
U.S.$72,040

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Training and Development Specialists

Chicago area$67,050
Illinois$67,380
U.S.$69,280

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.8% 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 Concordia University-Chicago, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About Concordia University-Chicago

Related majors at Concordia University-Chicago

Concordia University-Chicago Education (Elementary / Secondary) questions

How much do Concordia University-Chicago Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates earn?

Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of Concordia University-Chicago earn a median $45,532 four years after graduating and $44,618 one year after. The U.S. median for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates across 671 colleges is $47,823.

How much debt do Concordia University-Chicago Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of Concordia University-Chicago is $23,250, about 51% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $26,000.

Is Concordia University-Chicago a good school for Education (Elementary / Secondary) in Illinois?

On pay, Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates of Concordia University-Chicago earn $45,532 four years out, $2,595 below the median for the same major across 35 Illinois colleges ($48,127) and $2,291 below the U.S. median ($47,823). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does Concordia University-Chicago rank for Education (Elementary / Secondary) in Illinois?

Of 35 Illinois colleges reporting Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduate earnings, Concordia University-Chicago ranks 27th. The highest is University of Illinois Chicago at $64,100.

What jobs do Education (Elementary / Secondary) graduates get?

A common career is elementary school teacher, with a median wage of $78,390 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $63,970 nationally. Others include secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education and training and development specialists.

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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
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Cite this: “Concordia University-Chicago Education (Elementary / Secondary): earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/concordia-university-chicago/majors/education-elementary-secondary (College Scorecard and BLS data).