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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois

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Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

With 354,866 degrees handed out in 2021-2022, liberal arts is the 2nd most popular major in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 21,669 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 581 liberal arts graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,374 and $23,086 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois” ranking looked at 38 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in liberal arts.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in Illinois

1
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Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Out of the 38 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 103 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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 Governors State University Liberal Arts Report

2
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Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 102 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full EIU Liberal Arts Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 95 bachelors’s liberal studies 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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Northeastern Illinois University

4
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Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Chicago State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal 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 24 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

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%. The undergraduate 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 Liberal Arts at CSU

5
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Lincoln College
Lincoln, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lincoln College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Lincoln College

6
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Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. Lake Forest is located in Lake Forest, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Full Lake Forest Liberal Arts Report

7
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Eureka College
Eureka, Illinois

Eureka College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #7. Eureka, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Eureka College Liberal Arts Report

8

Northern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Liberal Arts at Northern Illinois University

9
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Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. Saint Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Saint Xavier University

10

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 44 students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad 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%.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Liberal Arts Report

11

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at UIS

12

Western Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Western Illinois University Liberal Arts Report

13
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Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Monmouth College is a small school located in Monmouth, Illinois that handed out 0 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Monmouth College

14
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Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Knox College

15

Lincoln Christian University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. Lincoln Christian College and Seminary is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lincoln, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 more about Liberal Arts at Lincoln Christian University

16
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Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Roosevelt University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at Roosevelt University

17
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Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Lewis University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. Lewis University is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at Lewis

18

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Liberal Arts Report

19

Trinity International University - Illinois landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking. Deerfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Liberal Arts at Trinity International University - Illinois

20
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McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts at McKendree University

21
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University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 20 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at UChicago

22

Illinois State University ranked #22 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal studies students 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 Liberal Arts at Illinois State

23
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Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full Bradley Liberal Arts Report

24
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North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois list. North Central College is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s liberal studies degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts at North Central

25
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University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Liberal Studies Major in Illinois ranking. University of St Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s liberal 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 full report on Liberal Arts at University of St Francis

Notes and References

References

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