Marketing: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs University of Wisconsin-Madison

Side-by-side ROI comparison · Bachelor's Degree
Return on Investment
10-year earnings ÷ tuition · higher is better
In-State
10.8x
$64,016 tuition
16.9x
$44,820 tuition
Out-of-State
5.0x
$138,004 tuition
4.7x
$162,412 tuition
$689,453 10-yr earnings · Public
$758,227 10-yr earnings · Public

Head-to-Head

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Wisconsin-Madison
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 10.8x 16.9x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 5.0x 4.7x
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $64,016 $44,820
Year 1 Earnings $69,273 $65,224
10-Year Earnings $689K $758K
Median Debt $20,000 $20,000
Debt-to-Earnings Ratio 3.5 months 3.7 months
DegreeWorth Score (In-State) 60/100 67/100
Acceptance Rate 43.7% 43.4%

Both programs have very high AI automation risk (54% task exposure) — the same career paths apply to Marketing graduates regardless of school. See full AI analysis →

ROI Breakdown

How tuition costs translate into long-term earnings for Marketing graduates.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Wisconsin-Madison
4-Year Tuition (In-State) $64,016 $44,820
4-Year Tuition (Out-of-State) $138,004 $162,412
10-Year Projected Earnings $689K $758K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 10.8x 16.9x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 5.0x 4.7x
5-Year Salary Growth +29% +52%

"Earnings Multiple" = projected 10-year earnings ÷ 4-year tuition. Higher is better. Not a discounted financial ROI.

AI Disruption Scenarios

Both schools share identical AI exposure for Marketing (same career paths). The score differences below reflect how each school's earnings and ROI hold up under stress.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Wisconsin-Madison
Optim. Base Pessim. Optim. Base Pessim.
10-Year Earnings $717K $689K $602K $795K $758K $651K
Earnings Multiple (IS) 11.2x 10.8x 9.4x 17.7x 16.9x 14.5x
DegreeWorth Score 62 60 53 69 67 60

For the full AI analysis of Marketing career paths, see the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign or University of Wisconsin-Madison program pages.

Earnings Trajectory Comparison

Projected annual earnings for Marketing graduates. Year 1 uses actual reported data.

Tuition Gap (In-State)
$19,196
University of Wisconsin-Madison saves you this
Year 1 Earnings Gap
$4,049/yr
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign grads earn more
ROI Range (In-State)
10.8x / 16.9x
Out-of-state: 5.0x / 4.7x

Career Paths

Marketing graduates from both schools map to the same career paths. Differences in earnings reflect school prestige, location, and employer networks.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Marketing managers $161,030 34,300 +6.6% 50%
Sales managers $138,060 49,000 +4.7% 45%
Advertising and promotions managers $126,960 2,100 -2.2% 48%
Fundraising managers $123,480 3,600 +4.2% 56%
Web and digital interface designers $98,090 9,100 +7.0% 67%
Business teachers, postsecondary $97,270 8,100 +5.7% 49%
Market research analysts and marketing specialists $76,950 87,200 +6.7% 55%
Fundraisers $66,490 10,200 +4.3% 52%
Want to compare different schools or majors? Try the freeform comparison tool →

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for Marketing: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign or University of Wisconsin-Madison?
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scores 60/100 while University of Wisconsin-Madison scores 67/100. University of Wisconsin-Madison has significantly lower tuition, which drives its higher ROI. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize raw earnings or return on investment.
Which school has better ROI for Marketing?
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has an in-state earnings multiple of 10.8x vs University of Wisconsin-Madison's 16.9x. That means University of Wisconsin-Madison grads earn more per dollar spent on tuition.
How do University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Wisconsin-Madison compare on Marketing earnings?
Year 1 median earnings are $69,273 at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs $65,224 at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Over 10 years, the projected totals are $689,453 vs $758,227 — a difference of $68,774.
How much does Marketing cost at each school?
Four-year in-state tuition is $64,016 at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $44,820 at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Median debt at graduation is $20,000 vs $20,000. Both programs lead to the same Marketing career paths — the cost difference is the main factor in ROI.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.