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2022 Best Value Colleges for English (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

24 Ranked Colleges
1,324 Degrees Awarded
$15,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

English is the 15th most popular major in the country with 41,945 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 1,324 English graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in English. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent English programs, but they also 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 English program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank English Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 24 Best Value Colleges for English (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 72 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $1,866 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University English Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 71 degrees to qualified ’s English language students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,712 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English at University of Chicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 152 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on English at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 97 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $10,648 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago English Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 63 degrees to qualified ’s English language students in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about English at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 85 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

NIU also took the #11 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,281 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Full Northern Illinois University English Report

#7

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University Park, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

GSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $10,872 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on English at GSU

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 130 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $14,470 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English at Illinois State University

#9

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 40 degrees to qualified ’s English language students in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $12,350 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about English at EIU

#10

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about English at Wheaton College Illinois

#11

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,903 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst University English Report

#12

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s English language students in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #14 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora University is $14,103 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Aurora University English Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 31 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,658 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about English at SIUC

#14

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 32 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $13,942 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about English at WIU

#15

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 10 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois College has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $11,376 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on English at Illinois College

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 77 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about English at Northeastern Illinois University

#17

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, McKendree has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $15,184 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full McKendree University English Report

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 9 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k list, Augustana has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $20,355 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about English at Augustana College

#19

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Knox is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 4 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox also took the #16 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,828 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Knox.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Knox College English Report

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Central College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 13 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $18,889 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central English Report

#21

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Roosevelt is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

Roosevelt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $20,398 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on English at Roosevelt University

#22

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Columbia is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Chicago is $27,120 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about English at Columbia

#23

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 69 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #13 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $26,173 for Illinois English Language students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 full report on English at DePaul

#24

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 67 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $29,440 for illinois english language students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 full report on English at Loyola University Chicago

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.

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