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2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

52 Ranked Colleges
3,895 Degrees Awarded
$9,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 101,094 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, accounting is the 8th most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, accounting graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $44,557 and had an average of $26,381 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 3,895 accounting graduates with average earnings and debt of $49,902 and $25,930 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 52 colleges that offered a degree in accounting. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great accounting programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the accounting program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Accounting Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Accounting (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $3,995 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Northwestern Accounting Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 374 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,464 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Accounting Report

#3

Waubonsee Community College

Sugar Grove, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Waubonsee Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Waubonsee Community College is a medium-sized school located in Sugar Grove, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Waubonsee also made our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Waubonsee Community College is $3,432 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Accounting at Waubonsee Community College

#4

Elgin Community College

Elgin, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elgin Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. ECC is a medium-sized school located in Elgin, Illinois that handed out 16 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,717 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend ECC.

Read full report on Accounting at ECC

#5

William Rainey Harper College

Palatine, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William Rainey Harper College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Harper College is a public institution located in Palatine, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 140 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Harper College also took the #24 spot in our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $6,497 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Harper College.

Full Harper College Accounting Report

#6

Triton College

River Grove, Illinois

Triton College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Triton College is a medium-sized school located in River Grove, Illinois that handed out 13 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Triton College is $4,579 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Accounting at Triton College

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 113 ’s accounting degrees to qualified students.

SIUE also took the #17 spot in our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $9,938 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SIUE Accounting Report

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 208 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $11,185 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Accounting at UIC

University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s accounting degrees to 94 students in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,323 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UIS Accounting Report

#10

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 268 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,861 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Accounting at NIU

#11

College of Lake County

Grayslake, Illinois

College of Lake County ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. College of Lake County is a fairly large public school situated in Grayslake, Illinois. It awarded 17 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,136 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend College of Lake County.

Read full report on Accounting at College of Lake County

#12

Lake Land College

Mattoon, Illinois

Lake Land College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lake Land College is a small school located in Mattoon, Illinois that handed out 28 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,007 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lake Land College.

Full Lake Land College Accounting Report

#13

McHenry County College

Crystal Lake, Illinois

McHenry County College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This medium-sized school is located in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,143 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend McHenry County College.

Read more about Accounting at McHenry County College

Lewis and Clark Community College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Godfrey, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s accounting degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,658 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lewis and Clark Community College.

Read more about Accounting at Lewis and Clark Community College

#15

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 39 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,316 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Accounting at EIU

#16

Southwestern Illinois College

Belleville, Illinois

Southwestern Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Belleville, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s accounting degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,762 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southwestern Illinois College.

Read full report on Accounting at SWIC

#17

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 220 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $14,999 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Accounting Report

#18

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 43 diplomas to qualified ’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,962 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SXU.

Read full report on Accounting at Saint Xavier University

#19

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 55 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,046 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Governors State University.

Read more about Accounting at Governors State University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 161 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,306 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUC.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Accounting Report

#21

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $11,229 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Accounting at University of St Francis

#22

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k list, Aurora has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $13,845 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Aurora University Accounting Report

#23

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 19 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also made our “Best Accounting Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $12,454 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Accounting at Illinois College

#24

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 57 ’s accounting degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,526 for illinois accounting students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read more about Accounting at Western Illinois University

#25

Parkland College

Champaign, Illinois

Parkland College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s accounting students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Parkland College is $8,189 for Illinois Accounting students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Accounting at Parkland College

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Pixabay.

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