Program Analysis
First-year earnings of $38,196 track close to the $37,172 national median for Liberal Arts & Humanities programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 8.3x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
AI disruption models show minimal impact on this program's career paths. The gap between optimistic and pessimistic ten-year scenarios is just 5% — this field's hands-on core resists automation.
Median debt of $25,000 represents roughly 8 months of the $38,196 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #227 of 424 Liberal Arts & Humanities programs, Western Illinois University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Earnings grow from $38,196 to $48,040 over five years — a 26% increase that's moderate and in line with typical career progression.