Accountingat Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Graduates earn $49,046/yr in their first year — about 9.0% below the national Accounting average. Base-case 10-year earnings $707K; scenarios range from $615K to $743K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Graduates earn $49,046/yr, roughly in line with the $53,724 national median for Accounting. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
The 13.7x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.
AI risk is moderate — 62% task exposure — and the 17% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
With first-year pay of $49,046 far exceeding the $19,000 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #224 out of 714 programs, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville's Accounting offering sits in the upper half but doesn't break into the top tier.
Earnings growth from $49,046 to $74,476 over five years (52% increase) indicates that graduates in this field see meaningful 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 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville'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 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, 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 Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
How does Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville's Accounting program score?
A score of 74/100 indicates strong financial outcomes. Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville's Accounting graduates fare well on earnings, job market size, and return on investment.
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.