Accountingat Carthage College
Graduates earn $61,887/yr in their first year — about 15.0% above the national Accounting average. Base-case 10-year earnings $712K; scenarios range from $618K to $749K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Carthage College
Graduates earn $61,887/yr, edging above the $53,724 national average for Accounting — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand.
The 4.9x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.
AI risk is moderate — 62% task exposure — and the 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
At $22,250 in median debt against $61,887 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance in under six months of full earnings.
At #364 out of 714 programs, Carthage College's financial outcomes for Accounting trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
The five-year earnings trajectory from $61,887 to $79,104 shows 28% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Carthage College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Accounting
How Carthage College stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Carthage College
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Carthage College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Consider the trade route
Not sure a 4-year degree is the right path? Trade programs in Accounting offer shorter timelines, lower debt, and strong AI resilience for hands-on careers.
Compare Accounting trade programs on TradeSchoolOutlook →Frequently asked about Accounting at Carthage College
How does Carthage College's Accounting program score?
A score of 70/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Carthage College trails the majority of Accounting programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Accounting to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Accounting careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 62% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.