ROI Major

Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions at City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College

IL · Certificate Degree · CIP 51.15

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions degree from City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College earn a median salary of $39,474 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $43,000. The degree typically pays for itself in 23.9 years.

Quick Insights

Slow Burn / High Debt Risk

How this degree looks at a glance

A fast read on salary range, break-even speed, living-cost impact, and where graduates from this school usually land.

Salary Ranges

Starting Range

$32,296

Typical Career

$39,474

Top Performers

$50,881

Estimated break-even: 23.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$263

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $3,290. Most students can comfortably afford about a $263 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.0x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.5x more than the average college graduate.

Purchasing Power Context

A dollar in Illinois buys what costs $0.92 nationally.

Industry Breadcrumbs

Top industries for bachelor's graduates from this school: Health Care & Social Assistance, Public Administration, Retail Trade.

Where Certificate Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 38.7%
Public Administration 8.0%
Retail Trade 7.2%

Institution-wide industry mix for graduates, 5 years after graduation. This is not major-specific. Source: Census PSEO Flows.

5-Year Median Salary — National Purchasing Power Equivalent

$43,000

Nominal: $39,474 in Illinois (COL 91.8% of national avg) · 8.9% higher purchasing power

10-Year Earnings Curve

Break-Even Timeline

How long until cumulative earnings advantage exceeds total college investment (tuition + opportunity cost vs. entering workforce directly after high school).

23.9 years to break even
Graduation 15 years

Total Investment

$155,168

4yr tuition + 4yr opportunity cost

HS Graduate Baseline

$38,792/yr

BLS 2023 median, HS diploma

View Raw Data: Median Earnings by Year
Timeframe 25th Pct. Median (50th) 75th Pct.
1 Year After Graduation $25,889 $34,002 $41,591
5 Years After Graduation $32,296 $39,474 $50,881
10 Years After Graduation $35,666 $48,487 $59,353

Source: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO), 2025 release. Earnings shown for Bachelor's degree graduates (all cohorts combined).

How We Calculate Purchasing Power

The median salary of $39,474 is reported by the US Census Bureau's Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO) dataset for graduates working in IL, which has a cost-of-living index of 91.8% of the national average.

Formula: Adjusted Salary = Nominal × (1.0 ÷ COL Index)
= $39,474 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $43,000 National Average equivalent.

COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →

Career Verdict

Graduates from the Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions program at City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College experience a steady earnings trajectory. One year post-graduation, the median earnings stand at $34,002, which increases to $39,474 after five years and reaches $48,487 after ten years. When considering purchasing power, the adjusted five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $43,000, indicating that graduates maintain a competitive earning potential relative to the broader market, despite the cost of living index in Illinois being slightly lower than the national average.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 59.8% finding employment in this field. This concentration suggests a strong alignment between the program's training and industry demand. However, the estimated break-even point of approximately 23.9 years compared to a high-school-only path indicates that while there is a positive return on investment, it may take significant time to surpass the earnings of those who only completed high school. Overall, the program offers a viable career path, particularly for those committed to the health and social services sectors.

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Data sources: US Census Bureau Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes (PSEO). Cost-of-living index: BLS Regional CPI & MIT Living Wage Project. Cost of attendance: IPEDS. For informational use only; data may be suppressed for small cohort sizes.