Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

Engineering Technologies/Technicians, General bachelor's degree outcomes at Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL · Public · Federal field 1500

Data scope

Federal records group outcomes by college, four-digit field and credential level. A record may cover several catalog programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to the same-degree benchmark.

$1,028 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
33.4% of annual earnings
Positive-payoff price ceiling
$46,385 / year
10-year scenario
+57% · Positive payoff
Price evidence
College-wide context only
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.

What stays fixed$81,554 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+38%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$62,117$85,470
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
78Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
107Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
118Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
$20,000Awarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2023–24 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

204Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
32Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
128Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
103Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,808Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$81,554$46,746 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 15 Parent PLUS borrowers.

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$13,391

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$27,274

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$81,554

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$289/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$13,391Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$28,851Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE69.8%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE48.7%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$62,117Year 1
$81,554Year 4
$85,470Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

4.3% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$6,796
Estimated loan payment$289
118borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$81,554 vs. $80,526

$1,028 above the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians$79,400 median wageIL estimate · 250 jobs · 17-3024+2.6% projected U.S. growth · 1.4k openings/yrTypical entry: Associate's degreeElectrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians$85,510 median wageIL estimate · 1,980 jobs · 17-3023+2.4% projected U.S. growth · 8.1k openings/yrTypical entry: Associate's degreeAerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$82,890 median wageU.S. estimate · 11,280 jobs · 17-3021+11.9% projected U.S. growth · 1.1k openings/yrTypical entry: Associate's degreeEngineering Technologists and Technicians, Except Drafters, All Other$79,800 median wageIL estimate · 940 jobs · 17-3029+2.8% projected U.S. growth · 5.4k openings/yrTypical entry: Associate's degreeCivil Engineering Technologists and Technicians$79,190 median wageIL estimate · 4,190 jobs · 17-3022+3.2% projected U.S. growth · 6.1k openings/yrTypical entry: Associate's degreeIndustrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians$71,090 median wageIL estimate · 2,260 jobs · 17-3026+3.1% projected U.S. growth · 6.6k openings/yrTypical entry: Associate's degree
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Lisle, IL

DeVry University-Illinois

$2,000 higher earnings

Earnings
$83,554
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$30,770
View outcomes →
Normal, IL

Illinois State University

$7,774 less debt

Earnings
$80,530
Debt
$19,500
Annual net price
$19,398
View outcomes →
Macomb, IL

Western Illinois University

$454 lower annual net price

Earnings
$75,922
Debt
$32,373
Annual net price
$12,937
View outcomes →
Hamilton, OH

Miami University-Hamilton

$8,308 higher earnings · $949 less debt · $2,105 lower annual net price

Earnings
$89,862
Debt
$26,325
Annual net price
$11,286
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

107 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →