Is Dominican University Worth It?

Dominican University gives you a solid but not spectacular financial return. You pay $15,113 a year net and come out with median debt of $24,411, which is less than your first-year salary at most of the school's top programs. Median earnings of $60,327 ten years out sit above what you'd owe, so the math works for most graduates who finish. The catch is finishing: the 62% grad rate means roughly four in ten who start don't cross the line, and dropping out with debt and no degree is the real risk here.

Computer science is the clear winner at $67,995, followed by nursing at $63,005. Both feed directly into Chicago-area employers and carry debt loads in line with their payoff. Accounting and economics land in the mid-$50Ks, still a comfortable return against typical debt. Specialized sales and marketing is the weak spot: $41,565 in earnings against $26,585 in debt is the tightest ratio on this list, and you should think hard before borrowing full freight for it.

The net price tiers reward lower-income families. If your family earns under $30k, you pay about $10,934 a year, roughly half what families over $110k pay. The jump is steep between the $48-75k tier and the $75-110k tier, where price climbs from $15,342 to $20,088. If you sit in that upper-middle band, Dominican costs you close to sticker without the aid cushion lower-income students get.

This school fits you if you're studying computer science or nursing, or if you come from a lower-income household and qualify for the deepest discounts. Look elsewhere if you're aiming at sales or marketing and would need to borrow the full amount, or if you're unsure you'll finish, since the sub-63% grad rate makes that gamble expensive.