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2025 Best Accounting Schools in Illinois

32 Colleges in Illinois
3,292 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$55,065 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #8 in popularity, accounting is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 32 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Accounting Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,292 degrees in accounting to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Accounting School

Best Accounting Schools in Illinois Your choice of accounting school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for accounting schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Accounting Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Accounting
Bachelor's Degrees in Accounting
Master's Degrees in Accounting

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Accounting Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Accounting in Illinois

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the accounting degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Illinois Schools in Accounting

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
353 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$74,731 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you wish to pursue a degree in accounting. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 353 accounting students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Accounting degree recipients from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign receive an earnings boost of around $19,666 above the typical income of accounting majors.

More information about a degree in accounting from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
273 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$70,085 Median Starting Salary

Every student who is interested in accounting needs to check out DePaul University. Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #135 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were roughly 273 accounting students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Those accounting students who get their degree from DePaul University earn $15,020 more than the typical accounting student.

More information about a degree in accounting from DePaul University

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Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Accounting Program Name

If you have a knack for numbers and want a career that allows you to use your skills in the business field, consider the online Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree program at Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
118 Accounting Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

Loyola University Chicago is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in accounting. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #100 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Loyola Chicago is a great university overall.

There were roughly 118 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Loyola Chicago in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the accounting major at Loyola University Chicago make $15,735 above the average college graduate with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in accounting from Loyola University Chicago

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
208 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$64,561 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat Illinois State University if you want to pursue a degree in accounting. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were about 208 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. Accounting degree recipients from Illinois State University get an earnings boost of approximately $9,497 above the typical earnings of accounting graduates.

More information about a degree in accounting from Illinois State University

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
134 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$68,471 Median Starting Salary

NIU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Dekalb. A Best Colleges rank of #529 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means NIU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 134 accounting students who graduated with this degree at NIU in the most recent year we have data available. Those accounting students who get their degree from Northern Illinois University earn $13,406 more than the average accounting grad.

More information about a degree in accounting from Northern Illinois University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
66 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$65,842 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #519 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Bradley is a great university overall.

There were approximately 66 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Bradley in the most recent year we have data available. Accounting degree recipients from Bradley University earn a boost of about $10,777 over the typical income of accounting majors.

More information about a degree in accounting from Bradley University

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
183 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$67,169 Median Starting Salary

UIC is a very large public university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #254 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 183 accounting students who graduated with this degree at UIC in the most recent data year. Accounting degree recipients from University of Illinois at Chicago get an earnings boost of around $12,105 over the average income of accounting graduates.

More information about a degree in accounting from University of Illinois at Chicago

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Associates Degree Type
AS in Accounting Program Name

Break into the accounting field with the skills you need to succeed with this online associate degree from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in AS in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
COD crest
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
59 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$52,724 Median Starting Salary

COD is a very large public college located in the large suburb of Glen Ellyn. This college ranks 29th out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were approximately 59 accounting students who graduated with this degree at COD in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, accounting degree recipients generally make about $52,724 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in accounting from College of DuPage

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
31st Most Popular In IL
118 Accounting Degrees Awarded

Harper College is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Palatine. This college ranks 25th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were roughly 118 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Harper College in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in accounting from William Rainey Harper College

10
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
31 Accounting Degrees Awarded
$62,149 Median Starting Salary

Augustana is a small private not-for-profit college located in the city of Rock Island. A Best Colleges rank of #533 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Augustana is a great college overall.

There were roughly 31 accounting students who graduated with this degree at Augustana in the most recent data year. Degree recipients from the accounting program at Augustana College get $7,084 more than the standard college graduate in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in accounting from Augustana College

Best Accounting Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Accounting Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 2,427
Ohio 314 3,277
Indiana 294 1,647
Wisconsin 273 1,606

View All Rankings >

Accounting is one of 21 different types of Business, Management & Marketing programs to choose from.

Accounting Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Accounting 2,593
Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping 471
Accounting and Finance 210
Accounting and Business/Management 12
Other Accounting and Related Services 6

View All Accounting Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 10,946
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 5,311
Finance & Financial Management 2,179
Marketing 2,175
Human Resource Management 1,256
General Business/Commerce 1,138
Management Information Systems 619
Business Support & Assistant Services 454
Entrepreneurial Studies 264
Business/Managerial Economics 262

View All Accounting Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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