ROI Major

Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services at College Of DuPage

IL · Associate's Degree · CIP 51.08

Apply Now Data: 2026 release

Executive Summary

Graduates with a Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services degree from College Of DuPage earn a median salary of $61,388 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $66,871. The degree typically pays for itself in 7.9 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

$43,554

Typical Career

$61,388

Top Performers

$74,831

Estimated break-even: 7.9 years.

Debt-to-Income Check

$409

Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment

Typical monthly pay is approximately $5,116. Most students can comfortably afford about a $409 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 Associate's Graduates from This School Work

Health Care & Social Assistance 27.8%
Professional, Scientific & Technical Services 8.9%
Educational Services 8.3%

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

$66,871

Nominal: $61,388 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).

7.9 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 $36,927 $51,976 $65,493
5 Years After Graduation $43,554 $61,388 $74,831
10 Years After Graduation $48,585 $62,548 $81,671

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 $61,388 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)
= $61,388 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180) = $66,871 National Average equivalent.

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

Career Verdict

Graduates of the Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services program at College of DuPage can expect a steady increase in earnings over time. The median earnings one year after graduation stand at $30,437, rising to $37,517 after five years and reaching $55,984 a decade post-graduation. When adjusted for purchasing power, the five-year salary equivalent nationally is approximately $40,868.19, indicating that while initial earnings may be modest, the long-term financial outlook is favorable, particularly when considering inflation and cost of living.

The majority of graduates enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sector, with 37.4% in the first category, followed closely by 28.4% and 27.8% in subsequent roles within the same industry. This concentration suggests a strong job market for graduates in these fields. However, the estimated break-even point compared to a high-school-only path is approximately 17.6 years, indicating that while the program can lead to higher earnings, it may take significant time to recoup the investment in education. Overall, the return on investment appears promising, particularly for those committed to a career in health care.

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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.