10-YEAR PAYOFF CURVECumulative economic payoff after graduation
−$220,592at year 10Net gainInvestment not yet recovered
NET GAIN$0UNRECOVERED
Parkland College
⌖ Champaign, IL · 14 reportable field-and-credential outcomes
10-year estimate · Negative payoff
−$220,592 over 10 years
Modeled from observed year-5 institution earnings and the institution-wide average net price over four years.
With these assumptions, the added earnings do not recover the cost within ten years.
Not availableModeled economic break-even
−104%Modeled 10-year ROI
$44,160Observed earnings · year 5
Not reachedMaximum annual price for positive 10-year payoff
What the numbers say about Parkland College
What does Parkland College cost?
Parkland College reports an average annual net price of $8,048 after grants and scholarships. This is an institution-wide average, not an individual aid offer.
What do Parkland College graduates earn?
The observed median earnings figure is $44,160 5 years after completion. It describes a federal cohort, not a guaranteed starting salary.
How much federal debt do Parkland College graduates have?
Completer borrowers report median cumulative federal student debt of $8,548. Parent PLUS and private loans are not included.
Is every degree at Parkland College worth the same?
No. DegreeVerdict currently shows 14 field-and-credential outcomes at Parkland College; reported earnings and debt can differ substantially by program category.
ECONOMIC INVESTMENT → PAYBACK
Estimated payoff over ten years.
The scenario counts direct price and earnings forgone upfront, then applies the reported annual earnings premium.
FEDERAL COST DATA
Four ways to read college price.
Annual college-wide figures from the current College Scorecard release. Average net price covers full-time, first-time undergraduates receiving federal aid; public-college figures use in-state students. Program tuition and individual aid offers may differ.
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price−$188,400
$8,000Current college-wide context−$220,400
$16,000Annual price−$252,400
$24,000Annual price−$284,400
$32,000Annual price−$316,400
$40,000Annual price−$348,400
COLLEGE AT A GLANCE
Institution details
Current federal characteristics describing the college, not the outcomes of a specific program.
- Accreditor
- Higher Learning Commission
- Main award level
- Associate degrees
- Campus setting
- City
- Admissions
- Open admission
- Delivery
- Campus or mixed delivery
- Federal designation
- No special designation reported
Cost, debt, completion and earnings context
$8,048Average net price / year
$14,995Cost of attendance
$8,548Median federal student debt · completer borrowers
$91/moPublished 10-year payment estimate
$44,160Median earnings · year 5 after completion
31.8%Completion rate
Not availableAdmission rate
3,348Student size
Institution debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded; missing and privacy-suppressed values remain unavailable.
WHO PAYS, WHO FINISHES, WHO EARNS
Outcomes are not the same for every family.
These federal cohorts add context that a single college average can hide. Missing figures remain unreported rather than estimated.
Complete within 150% of the expected time
25% received a Pell Grant within eight yearsMedian Parent PLUS debt
138 parent borrowers in the reported cohortMedian federal student debt
32% making progress in repayment after three yearsStudent family incomeMedian earnings after 10 yearsObserved federal cohorts
Lower income$34,246Earnings are not a guarantee
Middle income$43,494Earnings are not a guarantee
Higher income$54,357Earnings are not a guarantee
Three-year repayment progress
Lower income24%
Middle income44%
Higher income58%
Source: College Scorecard, June 2026 release. Parent PLUS debt belongs to parents; student-debt measures exclude Parent PLUS and private loans. Cohort definitions differ by measure.
INDEPENDENT CENSUS EARNINGS VIEW
How earnings develop by field
Privacy-protected Census employment records follow graduate cohorts one, five and ten years after completion. This source is kept separate from College Scorecard because its population and methodology differ.
Field and credentialYear 1Year 5Year 10
Architectural Engineering Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 15
$53,696Year 1
$65,194Year 5
$79,787Year 10
Computer Programming.Associate degree · Broad federal field 11
$47,574Year 1
$63,723Year 5
$78,278Year 10
Computer Programming.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 11
$39,629Year 1
$56,106Year 5
$74,301Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Associate degree · Broad federal field 47
$45,989Year 1
$60,979Year 5
$73,594Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Associate degree · Broad federal field 51
$58,243Year 1
$64,761Year 5
$70,685Year 10
Criminal Justice and Corrections.Associate degree · Broad federal field 43
$33,739Year 1
$50,311Year 5
$64,628Year 10
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians.Certificate, less than 1 year · Broad federal field 47
$28,841Year 1
$46,435Year 5
$63,451Year 10
Advanced/Graduate Dentistry and Oral Sciences.Certificate, 1–2 years · Broad federal field 51
$42,371Year 1
$56,106Year 5
$62,322Year 10
Median annual earnings in 2023 dollars. Each time point may use a different pooled graduation cohort. Coverage is limited to institutions participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program.
NATIONAL CONTEXT
How this college compares
Percentiles compare this institution with currently operating colleges that report the same federal measure.
WHAT STANDS OUT
A faster read on this college
These summaries use only reportable field-and-credential records at this institution. They do not fill privacy-suppressed outcomes.
EARNINGS PATH
Reported earnings over time
$37,762Year 1
$47,315Year 4
$44,160Year 5
Separate federal cohorts may underlie different measurement years.
The college average is not the whole story.
Observed earnings vary substantially by field and credential at the same institution.
1Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians · Associate's Degree$70,2082Engineering, General · Associate's Degree$66,5503Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Associate's Degree$58,8784Dental Support Services and Allied Professions · Associate's Degree$58,8245Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions · Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma$56,3916Business Administration, Management and Operations · Associate's Degree$55,3147Biological and Physical Sciences · Associate's Degree$49,1818Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services · Associate's Degree$42,261Observed year-4 earnings · compare like fields and credentials before deciding
Programs that stand out against the same-degree benchmark
This view rewards performance relative to the same field and credential, not simply majors that pay more everywhere.
1Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssociate's Degree · $70,208 reported+20%vs same-degree national median$7,000federal debt2Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesUndergraduate Certificate or Diploma · $40,961 reported+20%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt3Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's Degree · $55,314 reported+14%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt4Radio, Television, and Digital CommunicationAssociate's Degree · $36,353 reported+1%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt5Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssociate's Degree · $42,261 reported-0%vs same-degree national medianNot availablefederal debt6Biological and Physical SciencesAssociate's Degree · $49,181 reported-2%vs same-degree national median$8,628federal debt
Comparable colleges in IL
Currently operating public institutions with the closest combination of annual net price and observed year-5 earnings. Similarity is descriptive, not a quality ranking.
Chicago, IL
City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College
- Annual net price
- $7,886
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $44,922
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -100%
City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College
- Annual net price
- $7,863
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $45,050
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -100%
Kaskaskia College
- Annual net price
- $6,477
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $44,312
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -103%
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
- Annual net price
- $7,220
- Observed earnings · year 5
- $43,180
- Modeled 10-year ROI
- -109%
Explore exact field-and-credential outcomes
| Federal field | Credential | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 2023–24 awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $70,208 | $7,000 | Not reported |
| Engineering, General | Associate's Degree | $66,550 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Associate's Degree | $58,878 | $13,500 | Not reported |
| Dental Support Services and Allied Professions | Associate's Degree | $58,824 | $13,625 | Not reported |
| Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $56,391 | Not available | 36 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Associate's Degree | $55,314 | Not available | Not reported |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | Associate's Degree | $49,181 | $8,628 | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Associate's Degree | $42,261 | Not available | Not reported |
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $40,961 | Not available | 11 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Associate's Degree | $40,885 | $9,250 | Not reported |
| Ground Transportation | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | $39,764 | Not available | Not reported |
| Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians | Associate's Degree | $38,567 | Not available | Not reported |
| Radio, Television, and Digital Communication | Associate's Degree | $36,353 | Not available | Not reported |
| Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants | Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma | Not available | $9,007 | 12 |
Awards use first-major IPEDS completions aggregated to the same four-digit field and credential.
Earnings, price, completion and enrollment are observed federal measures. ROI, payoff and break-even are modeled scenarios built from those measures and fixed assumptions. College payoff is not the payoff of every degree at this school; use the program table for a more precise comparison.