The results of NIU’s 1985-86 Graduate Follow-Up Survey show the mean income for students receiving a four-year NIU degree at $37,706.

The same report stated the mean income for students who have received post-graduate NIU degrees is $52,826.

A study released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows that students who attend and finish college make $672 a month more than those who attend college but do not get a degree.

Gary Scott, director of NIU’s Career Planning and Placement Center, said salaries received by NIU graduates compete well on a national basis.

“We’ve generally been at the national average and, in some cases, above that average for the last few years,” Scott said.

Jean Callary, recruiting coordinator at the placement center, said NIU students are “leaving here with salaries competitive with college graduates all across the country.”

Callray said a person’s job location influences the actual income received and can lead to misleading reports on income.

“If a person is working on the West Coast, his salary may be high, but he is probably paying a lot in living expenses,” she said.

According to the Census Bureau study, the national average salary for people with master’s degrees was $2,288 a month, with holders of bachelor’s degrees receiving an average of $1,841 a month.

The survey said high school graduates received $1,045 a month on average.

“There’s a hard lesson shown,” Robert Kominski, of the Census Bureau, said. “There’s a clear relationship that economic rewards do accrue at each progressive level (of education).”

“The piece of paper, and the different kinds of pieces of paper, mean something,” he said, referring to different degrees.

“They mean something to employers and to the success of individuals. They represent different levels of learning and development of skills,” Kominski said.