Northeastern Illinois University Business: earnings, debt & careers

Business graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn a median $59,853 four years after graduating ($45,015 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $17,788. That is $5,439 below the U.S. median for Business graduates ($65,292 across 241 colleges), and ranks 3rd of 3 Illinois colleges.

Show numbers for my family

Yearly household income. Saved on this device only. No account needed.

Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$59,853

U.S. median for this major: $65,292.

College Scorecard field of study; 69 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$45,015

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$17,788

About 30% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $25,836.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,109 /yr

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

Sticker price $26,960. College Scorecard.

NEIU Business: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

NEIU graduates$59,853
Illinois median (3 colleges)$65,447 (−$5,594)
U.S. median (241 colleges)$65,292 (−$5,439)

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.

Business nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses NEIU'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$13,709$69,5052.9 years
$30–48k$12,824$65,0182.7 years
$48–75k$15,077$76,4403.2 years
$75–110k$20,464$103,7524.3 years
$110k+$25,001$126,7555.3 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 5.1 years, the average time graduates took (4% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Business graduates 4 years after graduating ($59,853) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $24,056 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.

Business at Illinois colleges

Every Illinois college we cover that reports Business graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Lake Forest College$74,632$27,000$28,67378%
2Saint Xavier University$65,447$26,845$10,97057%
3Northeastern Illinois University$59,853$17,788$14,10922%

7 more Illinois colleges offer Business but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Business graduates

Management analyst

Chicago area$105,090
Illinois$104,270
U.S.$101,860

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +10.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

General and Operations Managers

Chicago area$109,390
Illinois$103,570
U.S.$105,770

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Project Management Specialists

Chicago area$105,320
Illinois$103,470
U.S.$102,320

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.7% 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 NEIU, by income

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

College Scorecard

About NEIU

Related majors at NEIU

NEIU Business questions

How much do NEIU Business graduates earn?

Business graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn a median $59,853 four years after graduating and $45,015 one year after. The U.S. median for Business graduates across 241 colleges is $65,292.

How much debt do NEIU Business graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Business graduates of Northeastern Illinois University is $17,788, about 30% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $25,836.

Is NEIU a good school for Business in Illinois?

On pay, Business graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn $59,853 four years out, $5,594 below the median for the same major across 3 Illinois colleges ($65,447) and $5,439 below the U.S. median ($65,292). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does NEIU rank for Business in Illinois?

Of 3 Illinois colleges reporting Business graduate earnings, Northeastern Illinois University ranks 3rd. The highest is Lake Forest College at $74,632.

What jobs do Business graduates get?

A common career is management analyst, with a median wage of $105,090 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $101,860 nationally. Others include general and operations managers and project management specialists.

Is NEIU the right fit for your family?

Get a free report comparing NEIU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.

Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting in

We never share your contact information.

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: “Northeastern Illinois University Business: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northeastern-illinois-university/majors/business (College Scorecard and BLS data).