Executive Summary
Graduates with a Social Work degree from Lake Land College earn a median salary of $35,495 within five years of graduation. Adjusted for the cost of living in IL, this represents a national purchasing power equivalent of $38,666. The degree typically pays for itself in over 10 years.
Quick Insights
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
$25,583
Typical Career
$35,495
Top Performers
$44,343
Break-even is not clear from the available earnings data.
Debt-to-Income Check
$237
Estimated comfortable monthly loan payment
Typical monthly pay is approximately $2,958. Most students can comfortably afford about a $237 monthly loan payment with this degree.
Comparison Bench
This degree earns 0.9x 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, Manufacturing, Educational Services.
Where Associate's Graduates from This School Work
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
$38,666
Nominal: $35,495 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).
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 | $20,235 | $26,303 | $33,582 |
| 5 Years After Graduation | $25,583 | $35,495 | $44,343 |
| 10 Years After Graduation | $30,099 | $38,141 | $50,831 |
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 $35,495 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)
= $35,495 × (1.0 ÷ 0.9180)
= $38,666 National Average equivalent.
COL index source: BLS Regional Consumer Price Index & MIT Living Wage Project, 2023. Full methodology →
Career Verdict
Graduates primarily enter the Health Care & Social Assistance sectors, which account for 27.2% and 26.4% of employment, followed by Manufacturing at 22.7%. However, the estimated break-even point for pursuing a degree versus a high-school-only path exceeds ten years, suggesting a lengthy return on investment. This extended timeline may influence students' decisions, as the initial financial benefits of a degree may not be realized for some time.
Compare with Another School
See how the Social Work degree at Lake Land College stacks up against another institution side-by-side.
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Other Degrees at Lake Land College
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.