U.S. median for this major: $74,373.
College Scorecard field of study; 213 graduates with earnings reported
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 22% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $24,903.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $28,851. College Scorecard.
Northern Illinois University Accounting: 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.
Accounting nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →
Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income
Uses Northern Illinois University'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 | $10,126 | $44,453 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $9,854 | $43,259 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $12,797 | $56,179 | 1.2 years |
| $75–110k | $17,612 | $77,317 | 1.6 years |
| $110k+ | $21,834 | $95,851 | 2.0 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (33% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Accounting graduates 4 years after graduating ($83,573) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $47,776 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.
Accounting at Illinois colleges
Every Illinois college we cover that reports Accounting 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 | $101,098 | $20,500 | $14,355 | 85% |
| 2 | Loyola University Chicago | $97,667 | $22,125 | $36,079 | 73% |
| 3 | Illinois Wesleyan University | $97,022 | $27,000 | $28,199 | 75% |
| 4 | DePaul University | $93,592 | $24,500 | $30,902 | 68% |
| 5 | Augustana College | $91,143 | $27,000 | $22,736 | 73% |
| 6 | University of Illinois Chicago | $86,088 | $18,750 | $10,974 | 62% |
| 7 | Illinois State University | $84,458 | $22,482 | $19,398 | 65% |
| 8 | Northern Illinois University | $83,573 | $18,500 | $13,391 | 49% |
| 9 | Bradley University | $80,877 | $26,925 | $22,719 | 76% |
| 10 | Benedictine University | $79,917 | $23,325 | $22,313 | 50% |
| 11 | Elmhurst University | $79,654 | $18,125 | $24,185 | 70% |
| 12 | North Central College | $78,125 | $26,667 | $21,044 | 64% |
| 13 | Dominican University | $77,878 | $26,000 | $11,745 | 55% |
| 14 | Olivet Nazarene University | $77,132 | $27,000 | $20,729 | 61% |
| 15 | University of St Francis | $76,680 | $20,500 | $13,006 | 67% |
| 16 | Saint Xavier University | $75,023 | $23,326 | $10,970 | 57% |
| 17 | Aurora University | $74,820 | $23,452 | $18,838 | 60% |
| 18 | Lewis University | $72,812 | $23,162 | $17,028 | 67% |
| 19 | Western Illinois University | $71,059 | $30,023 | $12,937 | 45% |
| 20 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $70,478 | $23,251 | $13,297 | 62% |
| 21 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | $69,610 | $20,500 | $14,889 | 57% |
| 22 | Northeastern Illinois University | $68,328 | $15,000 | $14,109 | 22% |
| 23 | Illinois College | $67,982 | $27,000 | $18,298 | 64% |
| 24 | Eastern Illinois University | $66,840 | $23,974 | $12,786 | 47% |
| 25 | Monmouth College | $66,326 | — | $17,133 | 65% |
| 26 | Roosevelt University | $65,839 | $26,667 | $20,194 | 35% |
| 27 | Eureka College | $64,726 | — | $17,349 | 42% |
| 28 | University of Illinois Springfield | $64,048 | $24,117 | $9,833 | 53% |
| 29 | McKendree University | $61,361 | $21,500 | $24,717 | 53% |
| 30 | Governors State University | $61,223 | $22,000 | $12,329 | 22% |
| 31 | Millikin University | $60,804 | $28,320 | $21,989 | 55% |
| 32 | Quincy University | $55,610 | — | $20,359 | 45% |
7 more Illinois colleges offer Accounting but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Accounting graduates
Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.0% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +9.7% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Financial and Investment Analysts
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +7.2% 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 Northern Illinois University, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About Northern Illinois University
- Acceptance rate: 70% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 49% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $57,808
- Full cost breakdown · all 57 majors · overview
Related majors at Northern Illinois University
- Finance$86,511
- Business Administration$73,176
- Management Science / Analytics$71,040
- Marketing$76,373
- Economics$66,760
Northern Illinois University Accounting questions
How much do Northern Illinois University Accounting graduates earn?
Accounting graduates of Northern Illinois University earn a median $83,573 four years after graduating and $63,743 one year after. The U.S. median for Accounting graduates across 741 colleges is $74,373.
How much debt do Northern Illinois University Accounting graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Accounting graduates of Northern Illinois University is $18,500, about 22% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $24,903.
Is Northern Illinois University a good school for Accounting in Illinois?
On pay, Accounting graduates of Northern Illinois University earn $83,573 four years out, $8,651 above the median for the same major across 32 Illinois colleges ($74,922) and $9,200 above the U.S. median ($74,373). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.
Where does Northern Illinois University rank for Accounting in Illinois?
Of 32 Illinois colleges reporting Accounting graduate earnings, Northern Illinois University ranks 8th. The highest is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at $101,098.
What jobs do Accounting graduates get?
A common career is accountant / auditor, with a median wage of $82,360 in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area and $83,680 nationally. Others include financial managers and financial and investment analysts.
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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: “Northern Illinois University Accounting: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/northern-illinois-university/majors/accounting (College Scorecard and BLS data).