ROI Major

Architecture and Related Services, Other at University of Illinois Chicago

IL · Bachelor's Degree · CIP 04.99

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Architecture and Related Services, Other degree from University of Illinois Chicago earn a median salary of $62,925 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $68,546. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.5 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

$48,984

Typical Career

$62,925

Top Performers

$75,135

Estimated break-even: 7.5 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$420

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,244. Most students can comfortably afford about a $420 monthly loan payment with this degree.

Comparison Bench

This degree earns 1.6x more than the average US high school graduate and 0.8x 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, Educational Services.

Where Bachelor's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 20.6%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 16.1%
Educational Services 12.3%

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

$68,546

Nominal: $62,925 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).

7.5 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 $29,756 $44,268 $56,092
5 Years After Graduation $48,984 $62,925 $75,135
10 Years After Graduation $66,690 $85,105 $106,107

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 $62,925 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)
= $62,925 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $68,546 National Average equivalent.

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

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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.