# Illinois State University: Liberal Arts / General Studies (bachelor's)

Normal, IL. IPEDS 145813, CIP 24.01. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/illinois-state-university/majors/liberal-arts-general-studies

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $31,745
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $50,744 (U.S. median for this major: $52,601 across 467 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $23,621 (U.S. median $27,000)
- Rank in IL: 12 of 15 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the IL median for this major (15 colleges, $55,944): -$5,200
- Versus the U.S. median: -$1,857

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.26 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $50,744 minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $11,568 | $49,280 | 3.3 years |
| 30-48k | $12,301 | $52,402 | 3.5 years |
| 48-75k | $16,348 | $69,642 | 4.7 years |
| 75-110k | $23,865 | $101,665 | 6.8 years |
| 110k+ | $28,224 | $120,234 | 8.0 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Liberal Arts / General Studies at IL colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago | $96,510 | not reported | $14,860 | 96% |
| Northwestern University | $93,180 | not reported | $29,167 | 95% |
| DePaul University | $86,444 | $42,350 | $30,902 | 68% |
| North Park University | $62,972 | not reported | $16,948 | 58% |
| Quincy University | $62,841 | not reported | $20,359 | 45% |
| Aurora University | $60,775 | $27,000 | $18,838 | 60% |
| Northern Illinois University | $57,697 | $30,839 | $13,391 | 49% |
| Western Illinois University | $55,944 | $28,750 | $12,937 | 45% |
| Northeastern Illinois University | $55,569 | $17,000 | $14,109 | 22% |
| Saint Xavier University | $54,826 | $31,000 | $10,970 | 57% |
| Eastern Illinois University | $52,078 | $24,250 | $12,786 | 47% |
| Illinois State University | $50,744 | $23,621 | $19,398 | 65% |
| Governors State University | $50,703 | $36,500 | $12,329 | 22% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | $43,236 | $28,544 | $13,297 | 62% |
| University of Illinois Springfield | $43,026 | $29,467 | $9,833 | 53% |

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).