Bachelor's-6% vs national median890 grads tracked
Physical Sciences at Northern Illinois University
Ranked 217th of 321 bachelor's programs in Physical Sciences by 5-year earnings.
Median · 1 year out
$41,861
middle 50%: $30,204 – $55,037
Median · 5 years out
$62,298
middle 50%: $50,050 – $80,077
Median · 10 years out
$80,787
middle 50%: $59,948 – $107,749
Salary trajectory
Median earnings vs the national median for Physical Sciences (bachelor's) graduates.
This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates
Physical Sciences graduates from Northern Illinois University start with a $42k median salary. This increases to $62k by year five and $81k by year ten.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.
Will the degree pay for itself?
Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.
Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).
Paid off in
6.8 yrs
≈ $7,894 total interest
Same major at other universities
State University of New York at Buffalo
$62,663 · 5 yrs out
Wright State University
$62,576 · 5 yrs out
University of North Texas
$62,528 · 5 yrs out
Northeastern State University
$62,446 · 5 yrs out
University of South Carolina - Columbia
$62,434 · 5 yrs out
CUNY York College
$62,393 · 5 yrs out
University of Alabama at Birmingham
$62,287 · 5 yrs out
Radford University
$62,238 · 5 yrs out
Western Illinois University
$62,208 · 5 yrs out
Christopher Newport University
$62,192 · 5 yrs out
University of Southern Indiana
$62,158 · 5 yrs out
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
$62,132 · 5 yrs out
Other majors at Northern Illinois University
Education (Doctorate)
$119,874 · 5 yrs out
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services (Master's)
$115,599 · 5 yrs out
Engineering (Master's)
$111,551 · 5 yrs out
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services (Master's)
$111,291 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Doctorate)
$109,443 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Master's)
$102,156 · 5 yrs out
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's)
$97,392 · 5 yrs out
Psychology (Doctorate)
$97,297 · 5 yrs out
Public Administration and Social Service Professions (Master's)
$95,329 · 5 yrs out
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)
$95,041 · 5 yrs out
Mathematics and Statistics (Master's)
$93,400 · 5 yrs out
Social Sciences (Doctorate)
$92,787 · 5 yrs out