Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago — ROI, Cost & Payback
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago charges a net price of $27,347/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $109,388. Graduates earn a median $53,341 ten years after entry, $4,981/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline, clearing the total in 22 years — a 20-year net return of $-9,768, a weak return — the cost is hard to justify on earnings alone. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago's 22-year payback ranks #1,081 of 1,280 US colleges we track — better ROI than 16% of them, and #43 of 116 in Illinois.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $27,347/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $109,388 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $53,341 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | $4,981/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | $31,301 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | 22 yrs | our math |
| 20-year net return | $-9,768 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
How we compute this. Payback = total net cost ÷ annual earnings premium, where the premium is median earnings 10 years after entry minus the $48,360 baseline (BLS 2024 median for a high-school-diploma worker 25+). Total net cost = net price × 4 years. We do not discount future dollars. The institution-wide earnings figure blends every major — a specific program's payback can be far better or worse. Full method on the methodology page.