2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Studies in Illinois
18
Ranked Colleges
223
Degrees Awarded
$32,000
Avg Cost*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois” ranking is part of that endeavor.
General Studies is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2021-2022, 125,813 degrees were awarded to students with this major.
Across Illinois, there were 2,955 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 223 general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,374 and $23,086 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general studies. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their general studies program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois”.
Top 18 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Studies in Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chicago State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois list. Chicago State University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 General Studies at CSU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
Read more about General Studies at Illinois State
Out of the 18 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the #3 spot on the list. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 67 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Studies at DePaul
Out of the 18 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Aurora University landed the #4 spot on the list. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 35 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 General Studies at Aurora University
Out of the 18 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Northeastern Illinois University General Studies Report
Quincy University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Quincy U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Quincy, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 General Studies at Quincy University
Lincoln College ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois list.
Read more about General Studies at Lincoln College
Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Columbia College Chicago General Studies Report
Lewis University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on General Studies at Lewis University
Olivet Nazarene University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.
Read full report on General Studies at Olivet Nazarene
With a ranking of #11, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois list. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 0 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Studies at Concordia University, Chicago
Northwestern University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
The impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.
Read more about General Studies at Northwestern
With a ranking of #11, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 0 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Studies Report
Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois list. Illinois Tech is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s general studies degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about General Studies at Illinois Institute of Technology
Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad 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 General Studies at Loyola University Chicago
Roosevelt University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois list. Roosevelt University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 0 bachelors’s general studies degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Read more about General Studies at Roosevelt
With a ranking of #11, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 0 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general studies students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about General Studies at UIC
North Central College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on General Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general studies degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full North Central General Studies Report
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.
