ROI Major

Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions at College Of DuPage

IL · Certificate Degree · CIP 51.10

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions degree from College Of DuPage earn a median salary of $48,349 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $52,668. The degree typically pays for itself in 18.7 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

$34,749

Typical Career

$48,349

Top Performers

$61,054

Estimated break-even: 18.7 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$322

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $4,029. Most students can comfortably afford about a $322 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.2x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.6x 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, Professional, Scientific & Technical Services, Retail Trade.

Where Certificate Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 37.4%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 9.1%
Retail Trade 6.7%

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

$52,668

Nominal: $48,349 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).

18.7 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 $24,094 $33,582 $43,479
5 Years After Graduation $34,749 $48,349 $61,054
10 Years After Graduation $41,019 $49,513 $73,614

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 $48,349 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)
= $48,349 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $52,668 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science and Allied Professions program at College Of DuPage experience a steady increase in earnings over time. One year after graduation, the median earnings stand at $33,582. By five years post-graduation, this figure rises to $48,349, and after ten years, it reaches $49,513. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary aligns with a national equivalent of $52,667.76, indicating a competitive earning potential relative to national standards, especially considering the cost of living index in Illinois.

The majority of graduates find employment in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 37.4%, 28.4%, and 27.8% entering this industry. This concentration suggests a robust job market for graduates within a critical and growing field. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 18.7 years, which indicates a longer return on investment. Overall, while the program offers a solid career path with increasing earnings, prospective students should weigh the time to break-even against their personal and financial goals.

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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.