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2022 Best Value Colleges for English in Illinois (With Aid)

24 Ranked Colleges
1,324 Degrees Awarded
$20,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 41,945 people earned their degree in English, making the major the 15th most popular in the United States.

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

This year’s “Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the English program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois english language students with aid.

Top 24 Best Value Colleges for English in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 152 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for illinois english language students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s English language degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #7 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for illinois english language students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English at University of Illinois at Chicago

#3

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. GSU is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students with aid list, GSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $12,077 for Illinois English Language students with aid.

Full GSU English Report

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students with aid list, NIU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois english language students with aid.

Read more about English at Northern Illinois University

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 40 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #17 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois English Language students with aid per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on English at EIU

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois english language students with aid.

Read full report on English at Northeastern Illinois University

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 63 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Illinois English Language students with aid.

Full SIUE English Report

#8

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 16 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $17,215 for Illinois English Language students with aid.

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 Aurora University

#9

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 72 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $24,664 for illinois english language students with aid.

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. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Northwestern English Report

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 130 diplomas to qualified ’s English language students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students with aid list, Illinois State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,895 for illinois english language students with aid per year to attend Illinois State.

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

#11

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 32 ’s 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 estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Illinois English Language students with aid.

Full WIU English Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois English Language students with aid.

Read full report on English at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#13

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s English language students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Illinois English Language students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about English at Elmhurst

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 10 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois english language students with aid list, Illinois College has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $16,562 for illinois english language students with aid.

Read more about English at Illinois College

#15

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

With a ranking of #15, McKendree University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. McKendree is located in Lebanon, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 ’s English language degrees to qualified students.

McKendree did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree is $19,844 for Illinois English Language students with aid.

Full McKendree English Report

#16

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 42 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois english language students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Wheaton College Illinois English Report

#17

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,874 for illinois english language students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about English at Augustana

#18

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 71 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $27,315 for Illinois English Language students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UChicago English Report

#19

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. North Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #8 spot in our “Best English Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $24,786 for illinois english language students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 English at North Central College

#20

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s English language students in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $22,292 for illinois english language students with aid.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on English at Knox

#21

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s English language students in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also made our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $22,749 for illinois english language students with aid.

Read more about English at Roosevelt

#22

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English language degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $31,099 for Illinois English Language students with aid per year to attend Columbia.

Read full report on 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 Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 69 ’s English language degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also made our “Best English Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $30,090 for illinois english language students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English at DePaul University

#24

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value English Language Schools in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 67 ’s English language 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 $35,407 for Illinois English Language students with aid per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on English at Loyola 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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