2022 Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in Illinois

If you plan on getting your master's degree in liberal arts, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #125 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2022, College Factual analyzed 8 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 16 master's degrees in liberal arts to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Other Rankings

• Best Master’s Degree Schools List

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts School for Your Master's Degree

The liberal studies master's degree program you select can have a big impact on your future. One of the reasons we created our Most Popular Master's Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts in Illinois ranking is to help you make that choice.

A high popularity ranking isn't always a sign that a school has a great overall quality ranking for liberal arts, but it does mean that many students are choosing the school for some reason. Sometimes this is because the school offers a great educational experience, it is a good value, or it is highly focused on the program.

One Size Does Not Fit All

We have also developed a number of other rankings to help guide you in your decision-making process. To begin with, if this is not the degree level you are most interested in, you may want to check out one of the others noted above. If you would prefer to limit your search to a specific state or region of the county, see our rankings by location. On top of that, you can visit our other rankings for liberal arts.

 

Most Popular Schools for Master’s Students to Study Liberal Arts in Illinois

Below you'll see a list of the most popular colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in liberal arts.

Most Well Attended Schools for Liberal Studies Students Working on Their Master's

1

North Central College
Naperville, IL

9 Annual Master's Degrees

#1 Best Quality In IL

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

North Central College is a popular decision for individuals pursuing a master's degree in liberal arts. Located in the city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population. This isn't the only ranking where the school placed. It's also #1 in quality for master's degrees in liberal arts in Illinois.

There were roughly 9 liberal arts individuals who graduated with this degree at North Central in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in liberal arts from North Central College

2

Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL

2 Annual Master's Degrees

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in liberal arts has to look into Lake Forest College. Located in the large suburb of Lake Forest, Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were about 2 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Lake Forest in the most recent data year.

More information about a master’s in liberal arts from Lake Forest College

2

Northwestern University
Evanston, IL

2 Annual Master's Degrees

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in liberal arts has to check out Northwestern University. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.

There were about 2 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in liberal arts from Northwestern University

2

Roosevelt University
Chicago, IL

2 Annual Master's Degrees

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in liberal arts needs to take a look at Roosevelt University. Located in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. More information about a master’s in liberal arts from Roosevelt University

5

Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL

1 Annual Master's Degrees

#2 Best Quality In IL

Master's Degree Highest Degree Type

WIU is a moderately-sized public university located in the remote town of Macomb. Potential students might also be interested to know that the school ranks #2 in quality for master's degrees in liberal arts in Illinois.

There were approximately 1 liberal arts individuals who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a master’s in liberal arts from Western Illinois University

6

Bradley University
Peoria, IL

Located in the city of Peoria, Bradley is a private not-for-profit university with a medium-sized student population. More information about a master’s in liberal arts from Bradley University

6

Benedictine University
Lisle, IL

Located in the large suburb of Lisle, Benedictine U is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. More information about a master’s in liberal arts from Benedictine University

6

DePaul University
Chicago, IL

Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. More information about a master’s in liberal arts from DePaul University

 

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Liberal Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Michigan	470	4
Ohio	466	30
Indiana	352	11
Wisconsin	302	1

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Liberal Arts Related Rankings by Major

Liberal Arts is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.

Most Popular Majors Related to Liberal Studies

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Humanities	131
Individualized Studies	43
General Studies	16

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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). More about our data sources and methodologies.