Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

Communication Disorders Sciences and Services bachelor's degree outcomes at Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL · Public · Federal field 5102

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 trail the same-degree benchmark.

$9,275 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
45.3% of annual earnings
Positive-payoff price ceiling
Not reached
10-year scenario
−80% · Negative 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$49,653 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.

+57%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$34,136$53,628
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
49Working in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
73Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
53Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-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.

93Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
15Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
45Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
39Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,808Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$49,653$14,845 above the preliminary benchmark

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$22,500

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$49,653

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$239/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.

$34,136Year 1
$49,653Year 4
$53,628Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

5.8% 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$4,138
Estimated loan payment$239
53borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$49,653 vs. $58,928

$9,275 below 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.
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary$92,860 median wageIL estimate · 7,740 jobs · 25-1071+17.9% projected U.S. growth · 24.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSpeech-Language Pathologists$95,080 median wageIL estimate · 9,040 jobs · 29-1127+16.6% projected U.S. growth · 12.5k openings/yrTypical entry: Master's degreeAudiologists$93,510 median wageIL estimate · 330 jobs · 29-1181+11.0% projected U.S. growth · 0.6k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional 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.

Chicago, IL

Saint Xavier University

$15,580 higher earnings · $6,080 less debt · $2,421 lower annual net price

Earnings
$65,233
Debt
$16,420
Annual net price
$10,970
View outcomes →
Charleston, IL

Eastern Illinois University

$10,820 higher earnings · $3,000 less debt · $605 lower annual net price

Earnings
$60,473
Debt
$19,500
Annual net price
$12,786
View outcomes →
Carbondale, IL

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

$5,564 higher earnings · $275 less debt · $94 lower annual net price

Earnings
$55,217
Debt
$22,225
Annual net price
$13,297
View outcomes →
Champaign, IL

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

$15,952 higher earnings · $1,383 less debt

Earnings
$65,605
Debt
$21,117
Annual net price
$14,355
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

73 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 →