Federal data
Highest earning master's curriculum and instruction programs in Illinois
Illinois curriculum and instruction programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concordia University-Chicago | River Forest | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $67,571 | 148 |
| 2 | University of St Francis | Joliet | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $66,085 | 179 |
| 3 | Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $62,530 | 225 |
| 4 | National Louis University | Chicago | Private nonprofit, 4-year | $61,839 | 168 |
| 5 | Illinois State University | Normal | Public, 4-year | $57,175 | 72 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.