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.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$185,540
$13,000Current college-wide context+$133,540
$14,000Current college-wide context+$129,540
$28,000Annual price+$73,540
$42,000Annual price+$17,540
$56,000Annual price−$38,460
$70,000Annual price−$94,460
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 → $85,470Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort78Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort107Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median118Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median$20,000Awarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credentialNot 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 enrollment32Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers128Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count103Federal 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.
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.