Accountingat Illinois College
Graduates earn $50,017/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Accounting average. Base-case 10-year earnings $542K; scenarios range from $502K to $550K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Illinois College
Graduates earn $50,017/yr, roughly in line with the $53,724 national median for Accounting. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
An earnings multiple of 3.6x means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition, but not by a dramatic margin. Returns are positive but modest.
Some AI exposure exists in Accounting's typical career paths, with 62% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 9% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $26,500 represents roughly 6 months of the $50,017 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #649 of 714 Accounting programs, Illinois College falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $55,868 are relatively flat compared to the $50,017 starting salary — typical of fields with stable but capped salary bands.
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 Illinois 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 Illinois College stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Illinois College
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Illinois 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 Illinois College
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Accounting at Illinois College?
This program scores 56/100 — a respectable number in isolation, but it ranks in the bottom half of Accounting programs nationally. The field is competitive, and stronger options exist.
Will AI replace Accounting careers?
With 62% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $501,757 in decade earnings vs $550,326 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Is Illinois College a hidden gem for Accounting?
After financial aid, the average student pays $71,780 over four years — 52% below the $149,880 sticker price. That gap makes the ROI significantly better than published tuition suggests.